Rising of the Isekai Mess
by KillianAstar
Summary: Killua gets transported into the world of Shield Hero and proceeds to ruin its entire plot with the help of Hajime (Arifureta), Kazuma (Kono Suba) and Goblin Slayer. (Later chapters become more serious, which includes some violence and tragedy.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A deceptive silence stilled the air, cloaking a figure running through darkness. Ruins, untouched for centuries, were sliced open from their black veils with a flashlight. The stench of mold and dead rodents suffocated the enclosed halls. Yet, neither the darkness, rat corpses nor the foul odors made any impact on the moving figure. Like he was used to these smells and sights. He is, after all, the prodigious child of the world's most elite assassin family. Or, more accurately, he _was_. Which lead to his current predicament.

"I should have just gone gambling." Killua said to himself, using his foot to scrape dead rats out his path. He ran the flashlight across a series of plaques. Messages from hundreds of years ago were engraved, their words of an ominous nature.

"Hmm...something about transporting to another world." He raised an eyebrow. "They mention nothing of nen…so I'm gonna assume that's the real culprit here. I can't believe in all good conscience that Greed Island was the first of its kind."

He continued down the hall, searching for something of great financial value. These ruins had been lost to the world for ages, only to be recently discovered. As of now, only Hunters were allowed inside them. By the grace of luck, Killua happened to be in the area on the day this was announced, and decided to find something worth money before other Hunters came to clear out the place. As he walked, a particular plaque caught his attention.

"**We kept it hidden at the very bottom of this temple. It was a magic too powerful to give our enemies a chance to steal!**" His eyes lit up.

"Okay! Now were gettin' somewhere..." The area around him lit up, electricity crackling off him with explosive surges. _'Good thing I charged up before coming here!'_

Using godspeed, he ran all the way to the bottom of the temple, leaving starry traces of excess voltage trailing where he passed. None of the traps in place even touched him, some failed to activate at all. Killua was before an iron-bolted door, at the absolute bottom miles down from the surface, in a matter of minutes. He pushed against them. The wood snapped, broke off and flew from their thick metal hinges, obviously much lighter than the multi-ton doors to his own house.

The room was circular, with an altar in the center and a book atop it, glowing faintly. A soft, golden light spread spherically around the book, blocked by rows of benches and scattered door debris, casting shadows in lieu of light. Killua walked up to the book, noting the indecipherable runes decorating its cover. The hand that drew them was talented, flares of strokes and curls brushed off the end of each symbol. The source of the glow was a single page within, shining brightly between stacks of paper.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Killua opened up to the glowing page. He could barely make out the runic scripts filling the paper edge to edge before the light blinded him. The glow intensified, bright as a sun, seeping sparkles that set the room alight.

"WHAT THE-"

In a magical flash, Killua was thus transported to another world.

When the light faded, he found himself in a strange room he didn't recognize, with a shield fastened to his arm. Glowing runes on the floor caught his attention. Gold, like the book he had just touched. His sharp eyes quickly adjusted to the light, cloaked figures fading into view beyond the brightness. They were men and women, chanting robotically in a foreign language, arms stretched with palms facing him.

_'Where am I? Did they summon me the instant I opened that book?'_ He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. _'How did they know to start this ritual as soon as I opened that book? Do they have some sort of means of remote viewing? If they're capable of this sort of magic, it's not impossible…_' At the word magic, he remembered the plaque he passed on the ruins wall.

"Hey…" He addressed the cloaked figures. Their hooded heads turned upward, only showing shadowed faces. "Am I in another world right now?"

The person standing at the forefront removed their hood. It was an old man that fit the image of a priest. "Yes, you are." There was a solemn tone to his voice.

Killua was then startled by a despairing scream from behind him.

"HUUUUUHHHHH!? What do you mean I'm in another world? What about the one I was _just_ in?!" A young man, wearing a green shoulder cape over a white tunic, panicked. A bow and arrow was slung over his back.

_'A medieval outfit?'_ Killua turned to him, then shifted his eyes further to his side.

There stood a knight. A filthy looking one. He wore grimy armor, a cheap looking helmet, with a small shield fastened to his arm and a sword of strange length at his side in its sheath. Also, a more pristine, immaculate looking sword clutched in his hand.

"Hmm." He seemed to be analyzing it, though it was hard to tell in the darkness of his visor. "Too long for caves."

_'They definitely don't look like people from my world, so I must not be the only one summoned here. I need to compare the time of day with one of them, to see if our worlds are all in sync, but if they're both wearing medieval attire, it seems unlikely either of them possess the technology for such…'_

The old man dropped to his knees. "Please! Hear us out. We are in dire need of your help…" He planted his forehead on the floor. "HEROES!"

"Awww, you gotta be _fucking_ kidding me, not this shit again!" Another boy with bleached white hair, an eye patch and a robotic arm, stood behind the grimy knight. A spear was clutched in his human hand.

He stomped up to the old man prostrated before them. With his robotic arm, he grabbed him by his robes collar and lifted him off the floor like a mere pillow. The old man was impressed initially at his strength, but the menacing glare he met frightened him pale.

"I already got whisked away against my will to another world _as a_ _hero_…I don't need to do this shit twice!" The old man was suddenly assaulted with waves of physical pressure that evoked a deep sense of fear toward the white haired boy. His old, fragile heart felt as if it would fail at any moment. "Send me back immediately, or _I will kill everyone_ in this room."

Asides from the cloaked figures, the boy with the green shoulder cape was the only one to react, doing so with scared eyes, a gaping jaw and a pathetic squeal. The grimy knight hadn't reacted. Killua rested his hands behind his head with the roll of his eyes, brushing the threat off nonchalantly.

"W-wa-wai…d-d-don…I-I-I…" The old man could only stutter in fear, grasping desperately for the right words to persuade the white-haired boy. "I…I don't know how! We were ordered by the king to summon you!" The old man was jerked forward, stopping inches away from a furious face.

"Then go and bring that _king_ here now." He didn't growl or scream his demand. It wasn't necessary. The fear of failing to do as told was enough.

He lowered the old man, mindful of his fragile body, and stood there waiting. None of the cloaked figures hesitated. The old man and everyone else scurried through the door like they were vacuumed out. This left the four mismatched protagonists to stand around aimlessly while waiting.

"Dude…" The green shoulder-caped boy said. "That was kinda harsh, don't ya think?"

"Whatever. I don't have time to deal with this." He spat on the floor, out of spite more than anything. "I'm already trying to fight my way out of another world. I don't need to be interrupted with the same thing in the middle of it!"

"Hold on…" Killua said. "You were already in another world?"

"Yeah." The white haired boy finally looked at Killua. He stared at him for a few seconds, seeing something familiar in him. Something he, himself, was feeling at that moment. An undeterred composure, unaffected by their surroundings and circumstances. As if everything happening now was just one annoying inconvenience…incapable of presenting a threat worthy to be feared. His eyebrows furrowed. _'This kid's gotta be dangerous.' _Meanwhile_, _Killua fit his chin between his thumb and index finger in thought.

"I'd like to gather some information to narrow down a few theories I have. Let's start by introducing ourselves and where were from. Current worlds any of you have come from count. So, I'm Killua Zoldyck, from Kukuroo Mountain of the Republic of Padokea."

"Hajime. From Tortus."

"Uh hi, I'm Kazuma. I forget the name of the town I live in."

Killua and Hajime both looked at him with disappointment.

"Hey, it was another world! I can't just remember a bunch of fantasy names like that!" He said, despite his gut feeling telling him it was one that is easily remembered if he were more responsible.

Hajime shrugged his shoulders, seemingly more understanding. "Eh, can't argue with that."

The three of them then turned towards the man in grimy armor.

"You a knight of some sort?" Killua asked.

He shook his head. "I am Goblin Slayer."

"Where you from?"

He looked down in thought. "The farm."

Killua's disappointed face returned. Kazuma felt relief there was someone with a worse answer than him. Hajime sighed in defeat.

"We're not gonna get anywhere with him, are we?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The large mahogany doors spread open, creaking under their massive weight. A group of knights filed in through the doorway, the old priest standing behind them, each looking on with surprise at the distinct individuals. They looked at Hajime with fear and admiration, Killua with suspicion, and Kazuma with disappointment.

"Hey!" He stomped.

They then turned to Goblin Slayer. With the image of a battle-hardened knight, looks of wonder, appreciation and hope shined in their eyes. He turned towards them.

"Are we here to slay goblins?"

"Oh, eager are we? Well, _dear hero_, I can assure you..." A gallant king strut into the room, royal robes dragging upon the mosaic floor. "There are monsters much worse than goblins to slay here! Our world is under the threat of catastrophic waves-"

"I don't care. I am only here to slay goblins." He said, curt and monotone.

The knight's eyes sunk back into despair. The king stared at him, gaping from his mid-sentence interruption, before turning to the other three.

"As I was saying, our world is under the threat of these passing calamities we call Waves." He spread his arms out. "The monsters that come forth from these perilous storms are far beyond what my armies can handle. Thus, we have resorted to an ancient spell, a tradition of our world if you will, to summon heroes from other worlds to help us defeat the waves, and restore peace!" He raised his arms in the air, turning his face up, as if the ideal world he hoped to come was just beyond the ceiling.

"Hey King, I gotta question." Killua asked.

The king turned back down, a silent sneer etched into the muscles of his face. "What is it, boy?"

A vein bulged in Killua's head. "First off, what is our incentive to save your world? I can't imagine you summon people at random in hopes their nature is good enough to sympathetically cave in to a stranger's plea. I know for a fact I'm not the only one who shares this sentiment."

Hajime clicked his tongue, knowing Killua was, compared to him, politely stating what he would have worded more as a blatant death threat. Soft mumbles and murmurs sounded from the group of knights.

"Damn shield..." One said, in hardly a whisper, but Hajime and Killua's hearing was sharp enough to catch it.

The king exhaled in what seemed like defeat. "As heroes, you will be rewarded profusely for every victory you achieve. I recommend you assume occupations as adventurers, thus any job you take on will reap you profit. The same goes for the Waves. Consider them to be a job issued by the kingdom itself." The king avoided meeting Killua's eyes as he looked the other heroes in theirs, despite it being Killua's question he answered.

_ 'He's being an awful jerk to a __**hero**__ he's just summoned. And what's that knight got against this shield?'_

"Hey, I have a question too…" Hajime said. "And if you lie to me, I'll know immediately and kill you." And in one sentence, he undid Killua's attempt at diplomatic questioning on his behalf. The king's eyes went wide as he gulped an intense lump in his throat. "Do I _need_ to defeat these Waves in order to go back to my world?"

Sweat was already pooling under the kings crown before he answered. "Y-yes! That's the prerequisite for the returning ritual!"

Hajime sighed, then pushed past the king and the knights. "Well then, point me to where we can find these Waves. I'll destroy them all as fast as I can."

The old priest clasped his hands, teary eyed from joy. The king and knights smiled proudly, whispers of the "Spear Heroes" strength trickling amidst hushed conversation. Killua and Kazuma shot each other a confused glance.

'_Weren't they terrified of him a few moments ago?_' Kazuma thought.

"Your initiative is commendable…unfortunately, Spear Hero…" The king hesitated before continuing. "Waves come at predetermined times. There are none at this moment."

Hajime stopped in his tracks. His shoulders hunched, twitching with an impending explosion of anger. He turned his head back, peeking over his shoulder with his one good eye, partially bloodshot out of sheer wrath. The knights took a fearful step back. The king hurriedly raised his hands and shook them with wavering eyes.

"B-b-but they are coming soon! I assure you!" He tried to calm him. "Please, explore our town in the meantime. We shall gather adventurers to help show you the ways of our world by tomorrow!"

"Fine, whatever!" Hajime said and stomped off.

"It looks like we're done here." Goblin Slayer said, following after. Killua watched the two walk out the ritual chamber with apathy.

"Well, I guess it's just you and I then, partner!" Kazuma said to him.

'_You have no idea what's going on and just want someone to follow'_ Killua thought, but shrugged it off. "Sure thing." He knocked the edge of Kazuma's bow with his shield as a show of partnership.

A magnetic force fizzed with loud sparks, causing their weapons to push each other away.

"Huh?!"

"What the?!"

"Oh…" The king said. "Legend has it that the weapons repel each other, and it hinders each hero's development if you work together. In fact, I do believe that you are unable to wield a weapon that isn't what you have been assigned."

"What!?" Kazuma yelled, a touch of despair in his voice.

"Welp, it is what it is. See ya!" With a lazy wave, Killua left him without hesitation.

As he walked out the castle gates, he was informed by awaiting servants that the heroes had a room set up for them. The fact that they avoided eye contact and spoke with a concealed strain in their voice was not lost on him.

'_Is it my shield again? Although, they could just be irritated from having to wait out here for us. Robo-pirate was pretty rude in there after all, and Goblin Lover was no help. And now they're gathering adventurers to show us the ropes?'_ Killua stopped walking. _'There's only one thing about this world I need to really know._' He looked at his palm and sparked a small bolt of electricity. _'Nice, nen still works here! Hopefully the other 3 have powers of some sort too, that'd make this much easier.' _

Killua started walking again, locking his fingers together behind his head. "Hmmm."_ 'I wonder if the king assumes were just normal people who won't achieve much without learning about these weapons.' _Killua held his arm before him, analyzing the shield fastened to it._ 'Now that I think about it…if I only __**could**__ use this shield, how was I supposed to fight in the first place? Ah! That's what the other adventurers would be for.' _Killua stopped in his tracks_. 'Wait…speaking of weapons…'_

He pulled his yo-yo's out his pockets. A fizzing magnetic force, similar to the one before, repelled them out of his hands. A translucent error sign glowed in his vision as if he was wearing electronic contacts.

'_Figures. That's what happened to me and Kazuma…'_ He lifted his hand. _'I wonder then…'_ His veins bulged until his fingers became claws, sharper than knives. He jammed his hand through a nearby tree. His forearm was engulfed in its trunk, fingers piercing out the other side with minimal resistance. He smiled. _'So if a weapon is a part of our body, it's no different than using your own limbs to fight.'_

He spent the rest of the day walking through the town, gathering information through observation. He didn't converse with anyone, but the amount of avoidance, cold shoulders and minimized contact was not easy to overlook. Especially when he overheard Goblin Slayer, of all people, getting praised to the heavens.

'_You'd expect a hero that their king just summoned to be greeted with cries of hope and relief…not feigned politeness at best.'_ He thought.

It wasn't a matter of him wanting to be praised, but he didn't let slip the connection it had with the attitude of the king and his knights. However, since he didn't plan on using his shield all that much, he brushed it off. It wasn't until he stumbled across a church with a sword, a bow and a spear as its holy symbol that it all made sense. He squinted at the church in annoyance.

'_Where's the freaking shield? Why would you bother summoning a hero that's not a part of your religion? Is it a packaged deal? Is the shield hero even a part of this prophecy?' _He kicked at the dirt. "Eh, whatever."

With a nonchalant wave to no one in particular, he returned to the castle with the intent to continue his questioning, and share what he had learned about the weapons.

"Yeah, I figured the same thing when my artificial arm still worked." Hajime said to Killua, Kazuma standing by his side.

They both watched as Hajime used red mana to morph his metal arm with intricate configurations. Laid out next to him were several types of guns, varying in size and power. Some looked big enough to mount on massive military vehicles.

"Holy crap…" Kazuma said, impressed and in disbelief. "You brought guns to a fantasy world?"

"Technically I forged them out of the one I was sent to." Arcs of red bolts flickered as a metal cord stretched from his arm until he plugged it in a port he transmuted on his gun.

"Ah, I see what you're doing. You're gonna keep the bullets stored in your arms, and by connecting these cords to your guns, it technically becomes a part of your body." Killua observed.

"You're on the right track, except no bullets are going in my arm. It's just a vessel to channel my mana through." _'As unnecessary as it is, but whatever.'_ "A bullet traveling through a flexible tube would reduce its power, anyway. With the friction and all."

"Hmm, is that so?" Killua brought his finger to his cheek, pondering curiously. "I've never used guns before, but that makes sense."

Hajime looked up at him questioningly. "Never have, or never HAD to?"

Killua smirked.

Hajime grinned._ 'Yea, he's definitely strong.' _With a click clack, he was locked and loaded. He stood up and walked towards the windows. He opened them then turned around to get one of his guns to fire a test shot, but something to the side caught his attention.

"What're you up to?" He asked Goblin Slayer, sitting cross legged on the floor, sorting out strange equipment upon a blanket.

"I am making preparations." Is all he said.

Some of the tools before him made sense, such as a hammer, grappling hook, rope and an assortment of long knives that looked like they met the bare requirement to not be rejected by his hero-sword. However, there were odd concoctions in the mix too, such as egg shells and containers with dust in them, plastered with toxicity warnings. Killua and Kazuma walked up to him.

"What are you gonna do with all those things?" Killua asked.

"Kill goblins."

"Of course you are."

Hajime picked up one of his guns and walked to the open window. Kazuma jumped back, his wide eyes contrasted with narrowed pupils.

"WHOA, WHOA! 'The hell are you doing!?"

"Hey, I didn't _ask_ to come to this world, so as far as I'm concerned, this is my way of reassuring these people that I'm strong, as well as letting them know I don't care about what they want or think, so they can go fuck themselves." Hajime mounted his anti-tank rifle on the window sill, aiming in between the guard towers.

Kazuma may have recognized the gun, but woefully underestimated the power that it was designed to have. A violent crackling of sunny sparkles swelled around the barrel. A low whirring was slowly building up to a deafening boom. Kazuma shoved his fingers into his ears while Killua watched with excitement. Goblin Slayer, too, turned his helmet towards the charging weapon and looked on with a hidden expression.

"Hey Goblin Slayer, if you got anything you don't want blown across the room, I'd wrap it up now if I were you!" Hajime warned him.

Goblin Slayer acted immediately, wrapping everything together in the blanket. Hajime then pulled the trigger. The shockwave hit them all like a giant's punch. The sound echoed far beyond the empire, birds from nearby forests to faraway mountains flooding the moonlit sky in evacuation. Kazuma fell backward while Goblin Slayer and Killua managed to brace themselves. Their beds skid across the room, chairs toppled and rolled, and everything lighter than that flew into the wall with a smash. The area around them was completely cleared. Even the door was cracked outward, its hinges ripped partway out the frame. A trail of twinkling red mana, leading into the horizon, faded away in the dead of night. Hajime had a giddy smile.

"Alright, looks like I'm good! I don't need some dumb stick to poke things with."

It was not long before bells were tolling, castle inhabitants were scrambling for safety, and knights were gathering in a panic for a supposed attack.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At sunrise the next day, the four heroes were greeted in their room by a brigade of nervous knights. There was an air of uneasiness to their escorts, the direction of their fleeting glances revealing the source. Kazuma leaned to whisper to Hajime.

"Oi, shouldn't you apologize or something? It's super freaking awkward right now."

"**I don't care."** He said, not bothering to hush his voice.

The knights opened the doors to the royal atrium. It was here that dozens upon dozens of people awaited the sight of the legendary heroes. The upper balconies were packed with people wearing fine dresses and tailored suits. On the floor before the throne, people of more rugged and tactical attire stood.

"Hm?" Kazuma looked around. "I get the adventurers are here for us, but what's with all the rich-looking people?" He asked, eyes glued on a particularly beautiful sorceress. _'Please be competent, please be competent, please be competent!'_

"Sponsors, probably." Killua said. "We can't just get free stuff, so I assume we're gonna receive funds to start us off before we make our own money through guild quests."

The four of them stopped just before the line of adventurers standing in front of the king.

"Now, our future champions! Time to begin your journey!" He shouted.

The swarm of adventurers marched towards them, filing into lines behind the hero of their choosing. Kazuma stifled a disappointed grunt when the sorceress he was eyeing lined up behind Hajime. Once the adventurers had made their choices, Kazuma made another sound, a more curious one. Killua immediately knew the reason for it.

No human untrained in Nen could ever sneak up behind without alerting him of their presence, and this world was filled with humans like that. Yet, he felt no presence directly behind him at all. He glanced backward, though it was more for show than it was to confirm what he knew. Kazuma snickered.

"Oh? What's the matter, nobody wants to work with a kid?" He forced out a haughty chuckle, until a mean stare from Killua froze a lump in his throat.

Killua turned back to the king, eyes displeased. "Oi, King…I have a question for you."

The king raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Killua spoke slowly, observant of the upcoming reaction he knew his question would evoke. "Does your country discriminate against the Shield Hero because of your religion? Or did your church adapt a preexisting cultural prejudice?"

"Ngh-wha!" His head jerked back, eyes almost bulging with surprise. The knights behind him showed similar reactions, and a few murmurs from the sponsors and adventurers around gave away more than they intended.

Hajime watched stoically as Goblin Slayer looked on with a hidden expression. Kazuma turned around to the first adventurer lined behind him.

"Hey, is he right about that?" He cocked his head toward Killua.

The adventurer stared at him blank eyed for a few awkward seconds. "Uhhhhh…" Kazuma couldn't tell if he was crafting a cautious reply, or if he was literally the worst person he could have happened to ask.

"How insolent…" The king spoke, faking the return of his composure, bringing the attention back to himself. "You believe that since no one wants to adventure with a boy who's shown themselves to be _insultingly ignorant_ of our world, you jump to conclusions of discrimination against your heroic status?" He raised his head, looking down at Killua to emphasize the throne from which he sat, returning his own look of displeasure. "**Ungrateful**." Adventurers and sponsors murmured in agreement.

"I don't think a king who demands strangers to be ripped away from their friends, families and lives to save his own world against their will has the right to call one of those strangers he's been constantly rude to _ungrateful_." Killua spoke with a cold certainty that even an obvious lie would sound plausible in.

The king slammed his fist against the decorated knob of his arm rest. "YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU _CARE_ _NOT_ FOR THE INNOCENT PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD?! THAT YOU WOULD ABANDON YOUR DUTIES AS A HERO, ALLOWING MILLIONS TO DIE, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT _INCONVENIENCED_ YOU!?"

Hajime raised his hand. "I would!"

He then turned around to the adventurers behind, giving them a murderous glare. "**Hey**." He broke the floor with his spear, piercing the blunt end deeply into the cracked stone. He pointed at Killua. "Join his party. I don't want _or_ need you around me."

Killua held his palm up toward Hajime. "Oh, I don't need them either. I was just irritated at that _ungrateful_ jerk."

The king gritted his teeth, Hajime gritted his harder. "Then join one of THEIR parties!" He pointed at Kazuma and Goblin Slayer.

Goblin Slayer still had his head turned in their direction, watching silently. Kazuma scratched the back of his head, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

"Ah, well, I mean, if you insist and all." _'YEEEESSSS! Hot sorcerer girl, come to PAPA!'_

Goblin Slayer turned around to the adventurers lined up for him. "If this was all we are here for, then we are finished. Can you show me to the nearest guild? I must assess the locations and numbers of goblins in this world immediately." As always, he spoke in an impassionate, business-like tone, allowing his blunt words to convey his seriousness.

The adventurer closest to him, a young male paladin, blinked in confusion.

"Um…Sword Hero-sama…there, uh. Well…" His eyes flitted back and forth, looking to others in hopes they would say what he was too nervous to mention. No avail.

"What is it?" Goblin Slayer asked, monotone and impassionate again.

"There, uh, are…no goblins in this world."

Goblin Slayer spun with a stomp, facing him head on. "What!?" The sudden rush of emotion in his voice had actually startled the young man.

"Ohhh?" Killua looked over at him.

"Heh, this should be interesting." Hajime's boredom broke apart with a grin.

Kazuma pat Goblin Slayers shoulder out of sympathy. "Sorry buddy, that kinda sucks for you."

"Wha…H-hey! Don't ignore me!" The king shouted at Killua. "You dare disrespect me and-"

Killua waved his hand at him without sparing a glance. "Yo king, shut up for a second. I wanna see what happens."

The young paladin quivered before the man in grimy armor, a red eye from the dark depths of his visor glaring at him with unreadable menace.

"You are absolutely sure of that?" A deep fury boiled beneath the strained composure of his voice.

The paladin shook even harder, knees clacking together, and crumpled eyebrows surrounding a set of watering eyes. "Y-y-y….Yes! I'm really sure! Goblins don't exist, they're just mythical creatures in our world. B-but, the Waves here-"

"If there are myths of goblins in your world, then it is possible that they once existed."

"Um…well, that might be possible. _I don't think it is,_ but I can't be sure. Either way, all you need to know, is that there are no goblins **here and now!**" The young paladin was trying his best to persuade Goblin Slayer that the real threat, that actually exists, are the Waves. Once he could do that, he then figured he would make the most reliable hero out of them all. Unfortunately…

"Goblins multiply fast. If even one still exists in this world, I will kill it. It's up to you if you come or not."

Without hesitation, Goblin Slayer brushed past the young paladin and walked right by the line of adventurers committed to him. He walked down the aisle in a bold, confident stride with armored footsteps echoing along the way, marched down the stairs, pushed the castle doors open and continued outside without a glance behind. The doors slammed shut, leaving the room dead silent. Everyone just stared at the doors, nobody moving a muscle. A soft sneeze could be heard in the background.

"So, uh… you think we'll ever see him again?" Kazuma asked.

"Doubt it." Killua said with a shrug. He shot a glare at the king, watching him seethe with frustration on his throne. He smiled in response, then turned around to walk toward the doors. "Hey Kazuma, you can have 'em."

Hajime used Supersonic Step to beat Killua to the door, leaving his own followers clueless as if he had just teleported. Killua whistled with astonishment, following through after him. Kazuma found himself surrounded by 20 adventurers. Some wore armor with weapons like swords and axes, while others had mage robes and staffs. The men ranged from battle-scarred veterans to enthusiastic newbies, and the women ranged from elder and wise to soft and beautiful, all strong in their own right. Each of them knelt before him, heads tilted to their chest. A regal, green-haired female knight was the only one to look up at him.

"Bow Hero, Kazuma-sama, we pledge to you our undying fealty!"

'_Kazuma…sa-sa-__**sama**__?'_ He balled his hand into a tight fist, tucking his elbow in at his side and looked up at the stained-glass dome above, depicting a scene of divinity. His face scrunched up, stifling a sniffle and holding back the joyous tears welling to the brim in his eyes.

'_Finally…'_ A heavenly choir played in his mind as he sniffled again. _'My prayers have been answered!' _

Dainty footsteps patting by him caught his attention. In his peripheral vision, blurred by tears, a figure ran by. He managed to catch a final glimpse before it descended out of sight below the stairs. It was a girl with red hair.

"She must really wanna go with Hajime, huh?" He said to himself.

Meanwhile, the king slouched in his throne, nursing his temples with old fingers to push down a growing headache.

"Kazuma-sama…" He sighed. "We are _seriously_ counting on you. Please, do not disappoint us."

Kazuma smiled and brought his fist to his chest. "Don't worry, with a team like this and luck like mine, you can count on me!" He thumped his chest to emphasize his words. _'This here, is the real deal! I'll achieve something cool in this world, no doubt!'_

He stood there for a few silent moments. A lone cough could be heard softly in the background.

"Hey, since they're gone and all, that means I get their share of funds, right?"

Authors Note: Hey all, hope your enjoying the story as much as I am writing it. It started as a private project to give my writing skills something to practice on, but the direction the story went in my head was too entertaining to not share. So for now its a subversion of what happened to Naofumi in episode 1 (had to rewatch it to get all the details right), but with four people that definitely don't belong in this world. Will Killua and the gang make it past the "first episode" without entirely ruining everything? Guess we'll find out and see...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Are we sure there's no counter-ritual they can perform?" Hajime asked Killua.

"Not according to them. If you want to interrogate them, I won't stop you, but it's obvious that they don't want me around, and I think they'd be more than willing to send _you_ back if they could. So it's likely they're not lying about _not_ having ways to get rid of us." Killua said.

"Ugh, dammit! So we really have to fight off these Waves they keep going on about?" He clenched the spear that wouldn't leave him, no matter how far he'd throw it.

"Sounds like it. Fortunately, I don't think time moves any further in our original worlds, so if there's something important waiting for you there, however long it takes to return shouldn't matter."

"Hm?" Hajime raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think that?"

Killua held up four fingers. "What are the chances that we each touched an enchanted relic, at the same time they began their own ritual here, throughout four separate universes? See, if all our worlds are running at the same times, then we're just victims of an astronomical coincidence. But what's the likeliness of that?

"And we each got summoned here at different times of day from our worlds." Hajime said, causing Killua to nod.

"So instead, I think we fulfilled a prerequisite for this ritual to suck us in from other worlds, regardless of our respective time zones, to lock us in its own distinct continuum. Basically, their ritual wasn't restricted to other world's timelines. So the returning ritual should have a similar effect. When it sends us back, we'll probably be inserted at the point when we were summoned… hopefully." Killua bit his thumb nervously. _'If not, then Alluka's in serious trouble, and I'm stuck here unable to do anything'._

His mind raced with theories, hoping to piece together information to help confirm his hypothesis.

"Of course, this is presupposed on the idea that their ritual extended to four universes exclusively. So I guess there is the possibility that their ritual connected to hundreds, or even thousands of different worlds, and by chance we're the unlucky four to get caught up in it…but if they had a power that could spread through that many dimensions at once, I don't think they'd need to summon other-worldly heroes to fight their problems." He said more to himself, crossing out another inconvenient theory.

As he explained this, Hajime just looked on astonished. _'He's obviously never watched an Isekai before. Nobody considers that kinda stuff…this guy's intelligence stats are crazy! Though, he might be onto something...'_

"Waaaiiiittt!" A girl screamed from behind, interrupting both of them in thought.

The two looked back to see a young woman with red hair running up to them. Without warning, Hajime used Supersonic Step and disappeared from the immediate vicinity.

"HEY!" Killua was left alone to deal with her.

She finally caught up to him.

"Oh? Where did Hajime-sama go?" She held up two leather pouches, coins jingling inside. "I was supposed to give the both of you your monthly funds."

Killua shrugged his shoulders, turned around and walked away. "We'll make the money we need doing guild quests."

"Eh?!" She gawked worriedly. "But what about armor and equipment? Surely you don't plan to level up without any protection?"

Killua raised the arm his shield was fastened to. "I have a magic shield. What more protection do I need?" He never looked back at her.

She frowned. It was too deep a frown to be out of concern for him. It was more like because something wasn't going her way.

"SIR HERO!" Her voice cried with a hoarse desperation.

Killua had to turn around at that. She stood there, shoulders hunched, hands trembling and a sad face downcast.

"Please…let me join you. You are without a weapon. That is the reason adventurers avoided joining you. They fear the dangers that are to be faced when the hero they stand behind cannot deal the final blow…"

His face didn't falter._ 'I call bullshit, but whatever' _

"But I know what it's like to be left out…to be rejected." She lifted her head up, facing the sky, seeming as if she was holding back tears. "That's why…I felt…I understood you. And that I could adventure with you. By seeing you, Sir Hero, I believe I can find strength in myself as well!" She clenched her fists and pulled them in at her sides as if deeply inspired by the thought.

Killua felt guilty. _'I don't think I'm what she makes me out to be, but if she thinks watching me will help her with whatever problems she's got, it can't hurt to let her for a while. I guess I should keep things nice and slow for her then.'_

He let out a sigh. "OK, fine." He continued forward after a final glance back at her. "You can come. But if you hold me back, I'll leave you in the dust."

A bitter annoyance flashed on the woman's face before resuming a softer, more feminine reaction. "Thank you!"

She pranced up to his side.

"So what's your name?" He asked.

"It's Myne Suphia."

"Myne, huh? OK…let's go to the Castle Town. I'll be fine, but you'll need some equipment. Plus we'll need a new place to stay." _'I have a strong feeling they don't want us back at the castle…'_

Killua had underestimated Myne's usefulness. She was able to bypass a trial-and-error process for finding reliable shops to frequent. Through her, he found a place where he could sell items, a tavern to eat and stay at, and a high-quality weapons shop.

"I recommend this place!" Myne said.

"OK." Killua leaned against the doorway, leaving Myne to skip inside.

"Huh?" She turned around confused. "Aren't you going to buy some armor?"

He looked up at her surprised. "I already told you, I don't need it." _'It'd be a hassle to wear it constantly. Using Ken is more versatile and much stronger anyway.' _"Go buy yourself some armor and weapons. I don't plan on having you stick by me the entire time, but I'll at least help you reach a level where you feel confident in yourself. You can join Kazuma's party then. I'm positive he'll be happy to have you."

Myne stood baffled.

"Oi, Shield Hero, your quite confident, eh?" A bald blacksmith rubbed his chin, eyeing Killua up and down. "You sure you don't want a nice sword or something?"

"I can't. This shield won't let me use any other weapons. Something about magic forbidding it."

"Huh, is that so?" He scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "And you're sure about armor?"

Killua looked at a nearby chest plate, then at his fingers. Having honed the strength to push open 64 tons just to enter his own home, the armor looked like a pitiful sheet of wet paper. "Yeah, I'm sure. You go ahead and get something Myne."

She blinked, having been standing with a clueless expression, then gave an exaggerated nod. "Uh, oh…YES, I will!"

She managed to get herself decent equipment for a haggled price that saved them a pretty penny. They then headed off to a nearby meadow to "level up", as she called it.

"The monsters here are weak, so they provide a good means to practice fighting with, and to make your shield stronger!"

The grass rustled as a series of small trails closed in on Killua.

"Weak, huh?" He stood without reacting as five orange spheres with jagged jaws pounced out from the grass.

He felt nothing. A green aura around his body shimmered, emanating from his shield. "OK…that's cool!" He couldn't help but grin. Then he looked at Myne. "Hey, where can we find some stronger monsters?"

"H-HUH?!" She was shocked. "But what about the Orange Balloons on you?"

Myne couldn't register what she saw, except that the five creatures stuck to him had been ripped to shreds simultaneously. Killua's arm had moved, but it was too fast to see exactly how.

"What…was that?" She asked with wide, bewildered eyes.

"I just cut them. That's all." He dunked the shredded bits into the center of his shield, absorbing its properties. "Now, about that stronger prey…got any ideas?"

Myne thought for a second. Her face seemed innocent, but her thoughts were anything such. _'You want strong? You asked for it…don't blame me if you __**die**__, Shield Loser.'_

"Yes, yes I do, Sir Hero!" They headed off for a mine in the town of Lute.

They traveled deep into its tunnels until they reached an open cavern. A raging river could be heard beyond the edge of a cliff about 50 steps away from the opening. In between the cliff and the tunnel, there was a dark, monstrous hound. A massive, beastly body with two long necks leading to salivating maws snarling at those who dared intruding on its territory. Myne cowered behind Killua, quietly shifting back into the tunnel for a quick escape if need be.

"Sir Hero, I can't face something like that. I'm not experienced enough." The fear in her voice was not mere acting.

"No problem, just stay back." He actually looked her in the eyes when he said this, attempting to sway her fear.

He then walked up to the two-headed hound. It lunged at him, barking with a ferocity only a beast could roar with. It bared shark-teeth at Killua, sending spittle flying as fresh prey willingly walked up to it. Once again, too fast for Myne to clearly see, Killua jumped forward, leaping airborne between and behind the two heads. Or two necks, by the time it happened. The headless creature dropped forward with a pathetic plop, blood still pumping through the torn flesh. Killua landed without a sound.

He stood in the darkness of the cavern, the faint traces of light gleaming against his blue eyes, and bloody hands holding the beast's heads. Myne's heart skipped a beat. That little heartless moment hollowed out an emptiness through her, making way for a freezing fear to flood in. Killua walked toward her, the beasts severed heads swinging in his grip with each step.

"I hope I'm not a bother…" He spoke nonchalantly. "But…you got any monsters even stronger than that? I'm sorry, but this was just underwhelming." He tapped a severed head against the center of his shield, dissolving it in a digital swirl.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Agh man, thish ish great!" Killua managed to talk around a hunk of meat lodging his jaw open.

He chomped and gulped hulking portions of food with the finesse of a savage. The one fortune that Myne's pathological lying granted her are superb acting skills. The disgust, embarrassment and lingering fears she felt sitting across from him were sealed away from the world without a trace.

"You sure worked up an appetite after today, Sir Hero!"

"Uh-huh! An' dish foodsh reawy good!" His throat bulged when he swallowed.

"Agh, you shaid it, budday!" Someone replied from behind a tavern pillar.

"Huh?" Killua recognized the voice. "Kafuma!"

"Kiwuwa!" Kazuma popped around it, his cheeks stuffed like a squirrels, stretching his dimples up his face.

He was surrounded by a variety of adventurers, all of them occupying several tables with him at their center. It was a strategic defensive set up, to protect the new and developing Bow Hero from any who may wish him harm. Killua walked up to the perimeter of the group when a large brute of an adventurer stood to block him.

"Hold it. What's your business with the Bow Hero?"

The smile Killua once had now straightened into flat line, conveying restrained annoyance. He looked up at the man, several heads taller than himself, and tapped his shield. "I'm saying hi to a fellow hero. Got a problem?"

"Oi, Galeff-kun, let him through. He's good!" Kazuma leaned back in his chair, waving his hand toward himself, relishing his VIP status as he approved a visitor.

Galeff nodded at Kazuma, then looked back down at Killua, already pushing past him. "Tch!" With the click of his tongue, he whipped his head away as if avoiding the sight of something gross.

"Yo! Haven't seen you since this morning. What'd you do today?" He slid into the seat across from Kazuma.

"Found out how powerful _this baby_ here is." He caressed the edge of his bow with pride. "It's stronger than any of the abilities I carried with me to this world. It's awesome! What about you, anything interesting?"

"Eh, killed a few monsters and helped her get some armor and equipment." He cocked his head toward Myne, still sat at his table. As if on cue, she turned around when they looked at her, greeting them with a warm smile and a demure wave.

"Oh ho!" Kazuma raised an eyebrow, accompanied by a suggestive grin. He leaned in and spoke with a deep, lecherous drawl. "Killua, she's cuuuute."

He looked back at her, shrugged, then turned to him. "Good to know you think so. I'm planning on handing her off to you when she feels ready to fight. She's got some confidence issues it seems, and I guess watching a hero who can't use a real weapon is inspiring to her…or something." Killua snuck a quick glance back at her. _'Now that I think about it, she doesn't display many symptoms of insecurity. She seems more interested on getting on my good side, if anything.'_

"Hey, my party's open whenever she's ready…but you know, Killua…maybe she's got a thing for you, eh?" He lowered his voice for just the two of them to hear. "I thought for sure she was after Hajime when she ran out the castle. Maybe, just maybe, you wanna…y'know…" He wriggled his eyebrows. "See _how much_ she likes you."

Killua gave him a deadpan stare. "Do _I_ seem like I'm into her?"

Kazuma leaned back, fitting his chin between his thumb and index, observing Killua in thought. "Nah. You seem like you'd do well with the silent and shy type that has a cold, assassin side to her."

Killua's eyes popped open with surprise. _'Did he throw that assassin bit in there intuitively? I had no idea he was this sharp…'_

Kazuma closed his eyes and nodded to himself when he saw Killua's reaction. "Thought so." _'Man, I'm just killin' it in this world! Got the biggest party, a sick weapon to boot, and I'm handing out girl advice like a boss to help the underdog score some…all I gotta do is kick a few Wave's asses, and I'll be living the easy life here soon enough!'_

Killua stared at him for a little longer. "...You must have played a lot of dating sims to come up with that, haven't you?"

"ERG!?" Kazuma stuttered, caught red-handed, but quickly pulled himself together. "Hey, all I'm saying is you might not be into her type exactly…but if she's into you…you might have something special in this world. At least you know not _everyone_ here hates you, right?"

Killua sighed. "First off, I'm not taking advantage of some girl in another world I plan to leave as soon as possible. That's a dick move. Especially if she has confidence issues, which would make her more vulnerable. And second… you're telling me to settle for the first girl that comes my way, regardless of my standards or our compatibility? Aren't you just projecting your own hopes and desperations onto me?"

Kazuma choked on the beer he was sipping. As he coughed, Killua's deadpan expression returned, silently confirming he was spot on with his guess. Kazuma cleared his throat, awkwardly avoiding his stare.

"So…you killed a few monsters, huh?" He tried changing the subject. "Are they strong or what?"

Killua held his palms up while shaking his head. "Couldn't tell ya. _I_ thought they were pretty weak, but I have a feeling we're not exactly on the same level of power."

"Oi, what does that mean?" He squinted, mumbling quickly.

"You said you had some abilities from your other world, right? What kind?" Killua ignored it.

Kazuma hesitated for a moment. "Just general adventurer-type stuff." He went back to sipping his beer, afraid they wouldn't impress him.

Killua stared at him, expecting more of an answer. "Like…climbing?"

A vein pulsed on Kazuma's forehead. "No! I could already do that!"

"Well, what kind of things then? I don't know the mechanics of your old world, so "adventurer-type stuff" is as vague as it gets…You want me to tell you how strong the monsters are, right? Tell me what you can do, and I'll compare it to what I faced."

Kazuma scrunched his mouth with displeasure.

"Well…I have a skill called Enemy Detection…"

"You need a skill for that? Can't you just listen carefully and be observant?"

Kazuma narrowed his eyes at him. "I can subdue my presence."

"Same."

"I can forge materials out of the earth to create things."

"Oh, like Hajime? He created his guns with a skill called Transmutation that basically seems like the same thing."

A touch of life left Kazuma's eyes. "…No. Not like him. Not even close." His eyes fired up again as he pointed up at them. "But I have a skill called foresight! It lets me see really far, like I have binoculars in my eyes, and gives me decent night vision as well!"

Killua lifted his head from it resting in his palm. "Oh? Now that sounds pretty helpful with your bow and arrow!"

"Right!"

"Unfortunately, I'd actually master that magic bow of yours first before heading into any mines, at the least."

"Huh? What's in the mines?"

"A monster that none of your abilities will help you defeat."

The corner of Kazuma's mouth curved down. _'How strong is this kid? He looks like he's my age, maybe younger… Then again, Hajime looks like my age too, so I shouldn't judge on appearance. But are we really that far apart? I have drain-touch and elemental magic too, but even those are pretty weak. I can just about freeze a whole door shut before I collapse uselessly like Megumin…' _Kazuma puffed his cheeks out._ 'I DON'T WANNA SEEM WEAK TO HIM!' _With Goblin Slayer doing Goblin Slayer things, Kazuma was left to constantly compare himself to Killua and Hajime. It persistently dampened the self-image of awesomeness he wanted to have of himself in this new world._ 'I wonder if there's a way I can word myself vaguely so I don't have to explain anything, but it still sounds cool…'_

After a few moments of thought, Kazuma put on a confident smirk. "Well, I mean, I do have other abilities as well, but it's a bit lengthy to explain how they work. I guess the simplest way to put it is…I'm capable of a bit of magic as well."

"Heh? Magic?" The beautiful sorceress that Kazuma had been eyeing during the adventurer assigning, spoke up at his claim. "That sounds interesting, Kazuma-sama."

He swallowed deeply, looking at her wide eyed, nervously tapping his fingers against his legs, and a hint of pink on his cheeks. "Y-yeah? You think so, Cerys-_chan_?"

Her face subtly hardened for a second, before reassuming a smile, lightly tainted by a hint of uneasiness. "Y-yes, it's quite interesting, if I may say."

Killua sensed trouble. _'I don't think she likes being called that. If he doesn't wise up soon, he's gonna irritate a lot of people in his party, if not make an outright ass of himself.'_

"Oi, Kazuma-sama, show us some of that magic, will ya!" Galeff yelled from the table farthest from where he sat. "You got the perfect target to practice on right there, after all!"

Killua pulled his fingers into a gentle fist, closed his eyes, and drew in a deep, relaxing breath to soothe his annoyance. Then Kazuma stood up.

"Alright, if you insist! Anyone else wanna see?" He made a fist and raised it.

The 20 adventurers of his party cheered in unison, drowning the taverns atmosphere with their excitement. "YEEEAAAHHHH!"

"H-HEY!" Killua jumped back, not expecting Kazuma to be on board.

But he was. He had a mischievous glint shining in his eyes, accentuating the wicked grin across his face. Killua was shocked.

'_Kazuma...why you back-stabbing-' _Unsure of what his "magic" was going to do, Killua could do nothing but wait for a fool to be made out of him.

"GO. GO. GO. GO." The chanting in the tavern grew louder as the seconds ticked. Kazuma pulled his arm back, eliciting a few whistles from the crowd, and lunged it forward…

"STEAL!"

At Cerys the Sorcerer.

A light flashed in his palm. The cheering died instantly when they saw he wasn't aiming for Killua. Naturally, they all turned to Cerys with curiosity. There was nothing different about her, as far as the eye could see. Except her face. It was bright red, with watering eyes, and an emotion between horrified and furious twisting every feature upon it. Kazuma slowly opened his hand, anticipating the treasure he had managed to snag.

"Hehehe. Jackpot!" He stretched out the pink lace panties under a tavern lamp, revealing the private glory of her underwear for all to see.

Galeff's head jerked back as blood spurted out his nose. Many of the men in Kazuma's party, young and old alike, were blushing, bleeding or staring with bulging eyes brimming with jealous lust. Kazuma began twirling them in the air like a flag of victory, establishing his alpha status among the envious males.

Killua noticed before he did. _'They are __**not**__ happy.'_

Kazuma felt it before he saw it. It came as the sting of a chill jolting uncontrollably down his spine. As if a horde of murderous intent was directed specifically at him. He stopped waving his hand around and took notice of his surroundings. Each and every female in the room, from his party members, to the waitresses and uninvolved customers, glared at him with eyes shimmering like those of predators in the night.

His face paled. "Uh oh." _'This isn't quite…like my other world…'_ He thought nervously.

"Oh, WAIT!" A young paladin, the same one who accidentally sent Goblin Slayer away, shouted out to gather everyone's attention. "Maybe Kazuma-sama doesn't know yet! He _is_ from another world after all, maybe it's different there!"

Galeff stood up too. "Y-YEAH! There's no way he knows! He wouldn't have done that if he did!"

The oldest man in their party, a gangly and bearded mage, stepped forward and yelled with all the might his raspy voice could muster. "Of course! That makes sense!"

Several more declarations of agreement shouted from around the room, forging a convincing system of support. Kazuma frantically whipped his head back and forth.

"What? What don't I _know_?" He asked with a genuine cluelessness.

The green-haired female knight, Ritsuka, who was appointed the lieutenant of Kazuma's party under his authority, sighed as she forcefully relaxed her shoulders.

"Kazuma-sama…" Her tone was just a pitch away from a scold. "I can't begin to fathom what type of world you may come from, but it would be wise of you to remember from now on…that the nation of Melromarc is a _matriarchy_."

Terror seized his heart and distorted his face as he barely squeaked an audible reply. "Huh?"

Even Killua, using his assassin training to sneak away unnoticed, felt dread for his sake. _'A matriarchy? I didn't even know that. Oh shit, Kazuma, you __**fucked**__ up!'_

"Yes. Women hold a higher status than men in our country." Ritsuka patiently explained. "Normally, your actions would be tantamount to a crime punishable by severe jail time and public lashings…but, due to your circumstances, we shall grace you with a mere warning." She shot him a hard look. "**Make no mistake**, this is the one and only time. Hero or not, you will not be exempt from the law should this happen again."

Kazuma's hand lingered in the air for a few moments longer, before dropping at his side with defeat. "M-my bad."

Ritsuka walked up to him, snatched the panties away, and went to Cerys as the other women crowded around her to make sure she was alright. Kazuma watched them as they huddled protectively, blocking her completely from sight. He then looked at the men of his party. Many of them avoided making eye contact. Those that did held looks between disapproving and shame. In spite of their attraction, they couldn't bring themselves to show further support of his actions. He couldn't tell if it was because they grew up in a matriarchal society, or if it was just the general decency he seemed to lack.

The young paladin, the old mage, and Galeff were the only ones to hold their looks on him until he noticed. They kept their faces solemn as they slyly flashed a thumbs up for no more than half a second. At the least, they were gracious of having been blessed by the sight of the most beautiful adventurer's panties, and Kazuma knew this. He nodded with equal solemnity back at them.

"…_So yeah_, magic like that." Kazuma turned back to Killua to continue what started the whole mess, only to find him gone. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

A quick search revealed Killua back at his own table, stuffing his face with the rest of his dinner. He grit his teeth at him._ 'That little shit!'_

It was soon after, the huddled women had dispersed, leaving the tavern without haste. Kazuma made no complaints when he trailed after his party, shoulders hunched with embarrassment. _'Dear Mom and Dad: Today, I took my first step backwards from becoming the coolest hero of this world…'_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

With a large platter picked clean of all left overs, Killua leaned back in his seat with a satisfied sigh, caressing a happy stomach. Myne giggled at that.

"I'm glad to see you've enjoyed your meal." As he probed his mouth with a toothpick, she unraveled a map across the empty table. "So the meadow we went to today is here, and the town of Lute is here. Tomorrow, there's a dungeon we can go to over here. Hopefully we'll find some monsters there that are strong enough for you!" She closed her eyes and tilted her head, smiling with the clasp of her hands.

Doing so pushed her breasts together, emphasizing the exposed cleavage. He may not have had any feelings for her, but it'd be a lie to say he didn't find the sight attractive. So to that end, Myne was successful. Unfortunately for her…

'_Is she dense, or is she aware of what she's doing? And if she is aware…what are her motives? Since this is a matriarchy, I can't act hastily, regardless of which it is. Thank goodness for Kazuma's stupid __stunt__, otherwise I might have learned that the hard way too.'_ She opened her eyes partway, looking at the wine glasses and the bottle that filled them both. _'If she's flirting with the hero she admires, that's all good, but like I said, I'm not doing anything with someone from a world I'll be leaving…' _Killua's pupils sharpened as Myne took hold of her wine glass. _'But you don't grow up a Zoldyck without knowing every trick there is in assassination.'_

"By the way, Sir Hero, aren't you going to drink your wine?"

Killua shrugged.

"Sure." He took the glass, copied her as she raised it for a toast, and took a large sip. _'The alcohol won't even do anything to me, let alone any drugs or poison she may have slipped in while I was with Kazuma.'_

She looked him in the eyes and licked the wine off her lips. He smiled politely at her, not sure how to handle her flirtation. She smiled too, bashfully, holding eye contact, then leaned in and slid her hand over his.

"You have…such strong hands." She said, lowering her voice to a sultry whisper.

Killua blushed, pulling his hand back too quickly to fake an undisturbed composure. Looking back at her, still staring him in the eyes with a suggestive smile, Kazuma's words rang from his memories.

"_Maybe she's got a thing for you"_

He hated that it happened, but a small rush flowed through his heart at the possibility of being liked by such a beautiful woman. In his original world he was an infamous assassin, beholding a name he couldn't carelessly share, with hands and a heart stained by blood. But here, to this girl, he was a _hero_. He knew it was illogical, but the mere prospect of it was moving.

Through this, he also understood why Leorio intentionally lost his first round in Trick Tower. He still didn't forgive him though. He then thought of Gon, revealing how he'd been on all sorts of dates with women on Whale Island, while he himself never had such an experience, having spent his whole life training to be an assassin. With his train of thought leading there…

'_This will go a lot easier if I just assume she's trying to kill me…' _He thought, a touch of shame to his inner voice.

"You seemed pretty intimidated after I ripped that dogs head off earlier. You're okay touching them now?"

She turned her palm up, unfurling her fingers and inviting his hand back into hers.

"They're the hands of a _hero_. I should have expected them to be strong…" She shifted her face down, but still looked up to lock her eyes on his, conveying a submissiveness she wanted him to take advantage of.

With one arm supporting him on the table, he raised his free hand, wiggled his fingers, then slipped it into his pocket, leaning back in his chair. "And a _heroes_ job is to save the world, not get swooned by maidens." Killua's eyes went wide, an important realization triggered by his own words. _'Wait a minute!'_

Myne pouted her lips in playful disappointment. "That's a hero for you…" She traced the edge of her wine glass where her lips marked it, eyeing it with forlorn. "...eyes on the people, looking past the woman standing at his side."

"Heeeh?" Killua raised an eyebrow. "As a woman of a matriarchal society, you must not be used to a man saying no to you, huh?" Killua teased her, mixing in a bit of bait he was certain she would seize.

Myne giggled as if caught red handed being a playful flirt. "Hehe, well, it _is_ unheard of for any man to deny the advances of a woman here in Melromarc." She flashed her teeth in a wide smile, biting her bottom lip gently and letting her teeth tug on the soft flesh as it slid, accentuating their fullness.

"Here in Melromarc, huh?" He took another sip of his wine. "…. So what about other countries? Are matriarchy's common in this world?"

She averted her eyes to concentrate on a thoughtful answer. "Hmm, no, not common. It would seem each country plays its own form of favorites. For instance, one of the other countries practices demi-human supremacy, while another merely favors beastmen over humans." She played with her glass, seeming bored by the topic.

"So a matriarchy is unique to Melromarc, I'm to assume?"

"That's right…?"

"Interesting. Say…what else is unique to Melromarc? Particularly, is there anything about it that gives it an upper hand compared to other countries in your world?"

"Upper…hand?" The question confused her. "Nothing comes to mind, really. Could you give me an example of what you mean?"

Killua tapped his finger silently in thought. "How about…is Melromarc a world superpower? Or is it the leading country in terms of either economy, politics or even population?"

"Huh?" Myne blinked in surprise. "Goodness no. Our country is nothing of the sort."

"Hmm?" Killua smiled curiously. "Do you guys have the largest armies or strongest military force?"

"Wha…Um, I mean, our armies are indeed strong, but I couldn't say how they fare compared to other countries…why do you ask?"

"Just curious. So then, if Melromarc is not an economic or political superpower, if it doesn't hold most of the planets population, and if it doesn't have the best military of this world…_is_ _there_ anything special about it that comes to mind now?"

"Ugh." Myne stuttered. She was not expecting this, nor could she see where it was heading. "N-no, I'd say nothing especially. We are as much of a country as every other in our world." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell me, what has you so interested in this so suddenly?"

Killua leaned in. "Well, to answer that, I have one more question for you."

Myne leaned in too. "And what might that be?"

He grinned. "Why were all four _heroes_, destined to _save the world_ according to your prophecy, summoned to _one_ indistinguishable country, then tricked into prioritizing its safety over the rest of the world?"

"Huh?" Myne's face paled.

"It'd make more sense if four different countries summoned one hero each, to spread our heroic power more evenly across the world. In fact, that'd be a superior alternative, seeing how it's _mandatory_ that we level up separately. More importantly, how have the other nations reacted to Melromarc summoning us for themselves? I can't imagine they were happy about it, it's not fair. No matter how you try to justify it."

Myne could not reply. She just stared at Killua with a blank expression he couldn't decipher. He sighed.

"Say, where _is_ your queen now? She wasn't there to greet us the two times we've been at the castle. After all, as Kazuma was so nice to demonstrate for everyone, _Melromarc is a_ _matriarchy_."

Myne shook her head, regaining her color. "The queen? Oh. Um, she's away on a diplomatic mission."

Killua's grin dissolved and he raised a suspicious eyebrow. "To smooth over the summoning of heroes for her own country?"

"N-no! She was gone _before then_!" She stressed.

Both his eyebrows now raised in surprise. "You mean to tell me she missed out on the fulfillment of a prophecy from legends? Was this a surprise ritual or something?"

"No! But, but, it's a really important mission!" Myne seemed to be panicking now. Killua let out a deep exhale and leaned back.

'_Eh, it's not like she has the answers. This might be the first time she's even considered this. Whatever. The fact is, I'm sure now that something isn't right here, and that king is behind it. Which means…' _

Under the table, Killua made a fist so tight, his veins swelled around his hand.

'_I was summoned here for a totally bullshit reason, and that asshole had the gall to try and guilt-trip me for not being a clueless pawn in his conspiracy!'_ Killua grit his teeth before exhaling, calming his nerves. _'I need to sort my thoughts out. Perhaps Hajime was onto something about them hiding a possible counter-ritual…'_ He pushed his chair out and stood.

"I'm gonna call it a night. You should try to get some rest too, we did a lot today."

"Oh…okay then. Here, at least have this last glass of wine with me." She re-filled his empty cup, while topping off her own glass. It hadn't even been halfway finished. Killua downed his cup quickly to excuse himself as she was slowly nursing her own.

In his room, he tossed his coin pouch onto the desk and plopped backward on his bed. _'I swear, if I find out that Alluka's in trouble due to whatever crap that ungrateful jerk is pulling, I'm gonna kill him slowly.'_

Hours had passed since his dinner with Myne ended. It was his second night without sleep. At this rate, without anything to exhaust him, he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep come the 3rd night. _'OK, I have no idea what he might be planning. I have a thousand and one theories, but no information to go on to pinpoint a single one.'_

He heard footsteps in the hall beyond his door. He didn't pay it any mind…until he heard the door knob twitch. He put his hands behind his head, lazily tilting it up, and watched. Tiny clicks and quiet twists emitted as the doorknob turned with excruciating caution. Even Killua was getting annoyed at how long it was taking. Finally, the door unlatched and slowly pushed open…only to stop as the knob slowly spun back into place.

A vein bulged on Killua's forehead. He wanted to shout for whoever it was to just come inside, but stopped. He thought it'd be funnier to lay there and let this amateur waltz in on him waiting comfortably. The door sluggishly opened, stopping whenever it creaked. The hallway was unlit, the only light being the moon beaming through his window parallel to the door. A dark figure managed to slide through the opening, stepping inside.

"AH!" Myne screamed. "S-s-s-Sir Hero! You're awake?"

"Yup." He looked at her, bored, splayed across his bed with hands behind his head. "What are doing sneaking into my room at night?" _'She's either a pathetic assassin…or…'_

Myne looked away from him, fidgeting her arms and legs, then looked at him with glazed eyes. "Well…since you're awake, is it alright if I…lay, er, uh, sit next to you?"

'_Or that.' _He sighed. "Myne, listen. I'm getting out of this world as fast as I can. I'd rather not get involved with anyone here. You understand, right?"

Myne blushed. She hoped it looked like she did because he supposedly called her out on seducing him. _'Thank fucking goodness he doesn't want me. I'd die right now if this Shield Loser asked me to come any closer. Screw the money, I have to get out of here before he gets any more suspicious.'_

"Yes…I understand, Sir Hero. The truth is, this is why I wanted to catch you as you slept. So you could have the chance to see my beauty before reminding me of such an unpleasant reality…"

Killua kept his expression still. _'Or you just want me to think that, and you're up to something.'_ "A heroes duties, I guess."

She smiled. "It must be." She giggled shyly and left his room. Neither one believed the other.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Through the rest of the night, Killua exercised, did Nen training and practiced Rhythm Echo around the room until dawn. He stopped to see the sun peer over the horizon, bathing the land with its golden warmth. While watching miles upon miles of medieval landscape illuminate, he wondered where in it he would be taken to level up today. Then, out the corner of his eye, he saw dozens of knights running up to the tavern and filing frantically through the entrance.

"Ha!" He watched with his nose pressed to the window._ 'Someone's in trouble!'_ He then fell back on his bed with a bounce. _'Welp, not my problem!'_

He could hear the thuds of their boots stomping against the wooden floor downstairs. The sound got louder, ascending up the stairs, and continued awfully close to his door. It finally settled in the hallway.

"This is the room, right?" A man yelled, just beyond his door. Killua sat up.

"Hey…" He said to no one in particular.

With a smash, the door broke off its hinges and the knights flooded his room. Each of them glared at him with stern expressions. The captain stepped forward.

"Shield Hero! The king has issued a summons for you!" He spoke with an intimidating authority.

"I don't care." Killua waved them away.

The knights all drew their swords and pointed them at him. The captain kept his face grim.

"This is an order, and you are to obey it, _boy_." He commanded.

Killua lazily rolled off his bed. Once standing, he stretched his arms and yawned. His hand then darted around him at imperceptible speeds. Every sword except for the captains broke in two, the pointed half of their blades dropping to the floor with thuds and clangs. They all stared at their useless weapons with confusion. Until Killua walked up to the captain, wrapped his fingers around his sword blade, and used Ko to crumple it in his fist. The captain's face went pale and his authoritative façade broke into a nervous grimace. Killua looked at him. A simple look, without any extra effort or strong emotions beyond the irritation he felt.

"What am I being summoned for?" His voice was clear and relaxed.

Even so, this all scared the hell out of the captain.

"Y-y-you…you…" He knew there was a high chance that the charges against him were false. In fact, he was sure of it. It was because of this knowledge that his fear deepened at the prospect of saying it to Killua's face. He wanted nothing further to do with this situation. For a moment, his mind carried out a happy fantasy where he was at a beach, relaxing with a beautiful woman, and that this job now was someone else's entirely. The daydream lasted for no more than a second. In the end, it was _his_ job, and no amount of fantasizing could change it. The captain jerked upright.

"You raped a woman!" He tried to scream with outrage, but it squeaked out softly, pathetic and muffled by his own anxiety.

Killua studied him for a few seconds.

"HUHHHH?" His eyes went wide with shock, before shaking his head rapidly. "When did this happen?"

"Y-yesterday night."

Killua's face morphed accordingly to his annoyance. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Dumbass! All I _did_ yesterday night is walk around in circles _right freakin' here_, bored outta my mind. You can even ask Myne! She walked in while…." Killua's words choked on a realization.

In the blink of an eye, despite the knights surrounding him, he vanished. The captain only had enough time to shout "Wha?!" before the smash of a door down the hall was heard. The knights ran as quickly as they could to the sound. A door had indeed been broken through, leading to Killua standing in an empty room.

"Hey boy!" The captain tried to regain his authority and composure. "You can't just run off like th…at…" And again, they both drained out of him like urine from a frightened animal when it's cornered.

"Oi…" Killua's voice was low, soft even, but that meant nothing to their nerves.

His eyes were cold and dangerous, like frost on the gleaming blade of a dagger, with sclera emptied of their humanity. His killing intent seeped into his aura, invisible to the knights, but with a presence all too physical. Their vision dimmed, as if a grainy darkness had veiled their sight to blind them in blissful ignorance prior to an unavoidable death. A few had keeled over under the pressure.

"**Where is this **_**woman**_**?**" The raspy whisper that emanated from their source of terror tapped into the part of their minds from which nightmares come.

The captain acted on instinct, his will to survive thrusting the answer from his mouth before his years of training could do their job.

"SHE'S AT THE CASTLE!"

Killua didn't reply, just continued glaring. Most stared back helplessly, teary eyed, but some writhed desperately on the ground just dealing with the maddening fear. His body exploded with light, crackling arcs of electric bolts flying off of him. Then, with a bang, he was gone. A trail of faint sparkles dissolving in the air lead down the stairs and up the roads to the castle. It spooked their horses and they whinnied with fear. The sounds of hooves against flagstone grew distant to the knights. They only looked on with a lingering terror that subsided all too slowly. It was their captain who managed to get a hold of himself first.

"SHIT! He's heading to the castle!" He ran to the stairs, attempting to work out the shaking of his knees. "Come on! We have to follow him!"

The disorganized group stood up, gathering like a pack of stumbling drunkards, wobbling and swaying down the stairs with light heads and upset stomachs.

[Meanwhile]

"Kazuma-sama, the king has requested a summons for you at the castle." A beautiful green-haired knight, Ritsuka, knelt at his side and relayed the message.

He responded to the noise by unconsciously turning over in bed and wrapping the blanket tightly around his face. His snoring was unperturbed. A vein pulsed on her forehead as she tried to remain in her position of respect toward a superior.

His name, as if intended by fate, sounded out perfectly through gritted teeth. "Kazuma-sama…"

He groaned. "Aqua…"

Ritsuka's eyebrows raised with surprise. '_Huh? Aqua? Who is that?_' A personal curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to probe deeper. '_I'll apologize later if this reveals something too private…'_

"Yes, it's me, _Aqua_." She spoke clearly, lightening the pitch of her voice a few octaves.

He rustled under the blanket again. "Aqua…that's you?…in my room?" He replied, still asleep by the groggy sound of his voice.

Ritsuka cleared her throat with a gulp. "Yes…"

With a speed she didn't think him capable of, his pillow clubbed the side of her face, nearly plummeting the other side through the floor.

"MY HARD-EARNED CASH ISN'T YOUR BOOZE MONEY, YOU MISERABLE, USELESS GO…ddess…" The bright green hair was the first give away. After that, it anchored in the memories the day before, scratching off the fog of sleep until they shone with crisp clarity. "Rit…suka…_chan_?"

She smashed her fists against the floor, erecting herself upright with brute force. Her imposing figure towered over him. He squirmed across his bed and back into the wall, raising frantic arms out before his face.

"Wait wait wait WAIT!"

"How many times must I say… **do** **not…** call me Ritsuka-_CHAN_!"

"I…I forgot…" He scratched his blushing cheek. "I just woke up, after all." Then his face scrunched quizzically. "Hey, how do you know the name Aqua?"

"You said it in your sleep. I apologize for what I did." Her apology was dry, like stating a matter of fact. "Anyway, the king has requested a summons for you. If you wish to start improving your public image, rather than parade around as the best hero _by default_, I would suggest you get dressed and respond immediately." She marched out the room without a moment's hesitation.

He sat up in bed, dressed in nothing but anime boxers, with a mess of hair tangled above a sleepy gaze. A hero of prophecies.

"A matriarchy, huh…" He inhaled deeply as he blinked the night's rest out his eyes, stretching his arms up. "This… SUCKS!"

[Meanwhile]

Hajime sat alone in a dim room, candles spilling a gentle light around their tiny flames. The ground was littered with newly forged bullets. Metal clicked and snapped as he loaded each of his guns and cocked them. A display of his weapons stretched out neatly on the floor, with the exception of his spear. He found it could be placed in his Treasure Trove and not inconvenience him with its constant need to be held.

He worked in silence, thoughts of Yue, Shia, Tio and Myu interspersed throughout his focus, bringing a touch of nostalgia with them. They were the only times he smiled as he once again prepared an arsenal fit for a one-man army. He was interrupted by a sudden knock at his door. He knew if he ignored it, whoever it was would just continue until he responded.

"What is it?" He demanded to know from a quivering group of knights. They had obviously pushed the smallest one to their forefront as a spokesperson.

"Th-th-the king…has requested a summons for you." If futility had a voice, even it would cringe at this.

Hajime stared him down to impress the uselessness of even bothering to come. Then he shut the door. Behind it, he could hear sighs and a single wail of relief. As he walked back to his work station, a crackling rush of wind from outside caught his attention. He darted to the window, catching the tail ends of electric sparks fading in the air, leaving a trail to the castle.

'_What…was that?'_ It took only a few seconds before the options his mind conjured eliminated themselves by levels of likeliness, until the image of Killua stood most prominent. His interest was immediately piqued, but he had work to do. _'I'll check it out once I'm done here.'_

[Meanwhile]

A search party of knights, designated to issue a summons to one of the four heroes, decided it was not worth figuring out which cave throughout their entire nation Goblin Slayer was looking for non-existent goblins in.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The castle doors shattered. Wooden shards sprayed throughout the throne room, raining down on knights shielding their faces. The king, too, hid similarly from the hail of woodchips and splinters.

"What the hell?!" He yelled from under his raised arm.

A few more seconds passed in silence before everyone cautiously dropped their arms.

"Yo." The Shield Hero's voice made them lift their heads immediately.

There stood Killua, amidst the scattered pieces of what once was a fortified mahogany door. Fortified to the point not even the strongest knight could swing a battle axe through in his first 10 tries. The knights stared at him, gaping in a mix of confusion and awe. The king was no exception.

However, Killua's eyes were drawn not to him, but instead, to the woman standing by his side. She stared at him with an expression different from the others. It had a tinge of disbelief to it…but that was a mere touch next to the deep, spirit-ripping fear that stole the life from her eyes, the warmth from her blood and the next few beats from her heart.

'_He…might actually kill me!'_ She took a step back. _'This is NOT going the way it was planned…where are the knights we sent after him?! And the other heroes?! They were supposed to be summoned here before he arrived. I know he's strong, but don't tell me that __**all of them together **__couldn't actually handle-'_

"Myne." Killua addressed her, uncaring of the judgmental glares from everyone. "You're going to explain what the hell is going on here. If you fail to do so…" His eyes darkened, the instincts of a professional assassin kicking in. "**I'll kill you**."

Myne heaved in a few deep, uneasy breaths before letting out a panicked wail.

"AAAHHHHH!"

The king jumped from his seat with a nasty scowl.

"HOW **DARE** YOU!" His words echoed as a hoarse roar. "You commit the gravest sin of our country, _raping a woman_, then THREATEN THE LIFE of your poor victim!? YOU WICKED, VILE, IRREDEEMABLE SCUM!" His hand whipped back and forth, emphasizing each word he chose, while spit flew from his mouth in his fit of uncouth rage.

The king panted as an unbearable anger seized his heart, painting his vision red. He watched his knights close in on Killua, lustfully anticipating the violence they were sure to beat him down with. Until he blinked. Killua disappeared. His knights stood there, spinning their heads without a clue.

Then, that blinding anger, unparalleled by any emotion the king had experienced up to this point in life, crushed under the superior weight of an undeniable terror. A hand, with the strength of stone and iron combined, wrapped around his throat from behind, and fingers that tapered into needle-pointed claws, drew blood from his neck with hardly a tap. He felt it trickling from five separate spots on his throat.

Killua hissed into his ear. "You _shut up_. You're next after her."

The king began sweating._ 'Who…No. What is this kid? He's no normal child!'_ He actually began to regret the disrespect he showed him.

"Ah? WHOA, KILLUA! What the hell are you doing?" Kazuma's voice rang like a bell from the heavens.

"It's the Bow Hero, Kazuma-sama!" The captain of the knights yelled, raising his sword and drawing cheers from his soldiers. "OOOOHHHHH!"

"Kazuma-sama!" Myne cried, sprinting across the room and diving into his arms.

Ritsuka drew her sword and the rest of his party followed suit with their own weapons.

"LET THE KING GO, _DEVIL_ OF THE SHIELD!" Ritsuka screamed.

"Huh? Devil?" Kazuma asked, but Myne hugged him tightly to pull his attention back to her.

"Oh Kazuma-sama, thank GOODNESS you showed up! I was so scared!" She wailed into his chest.

'_She's pressed up so close to me! I can feel her boobs! And I can't help but feel there's something about her crying in my arms like this…it makes me feel…SO MANLY!'_ He hoped no one noticed him blushing. "What's going on? What happened here?"

Killua's hand was getting wet from the cold sweat soaking the king's royal garments. He released his throat, letting him drop to his knees and grab his neck in relief. He then crossed his arms while leaning against the throne to hear Myne's story and observe Kazuma's reaction. She didn't miss a beat.

"The shield hero got drunk with me yesterday, after you all left! After I retired to my room, he came inside, saying things like "the night is still young". Then he stripped me of my clothes, and then…" She heaved. "And then…" She heaved harder. "Then he…" She cupped her face, sniffled, and let out a long, howling cry in lieu of explaining the rest of her story.

"Monster!" Ritsuka growled, eliciting nods from _everyone_ in Kazuma's party.

"We stand with you too, Kazuma-sama!" The captain yelled.

The knights gathered before the throne, where Killua and the king were, while the adventurers blocked the staircase. Killua was about to chime in with his side of the story, but Kazuma spoke up before he could.

"Hey…" His voice was directed at Myne. Her wet face rubbed against his shirt as she looked up at him, conscientious of the puppy eyes she'd honed over the years. They meant nothing. The level of cold skepticism she saw on his face bordered on insulting. "Isn't this a bit _too_ suspicious?"

"Wh-what?!" Myne's face contorted with horror. "Y-you…don't BELIEVE ME?!"

"Kazuma-sama! How could you say that?" Ritsuka yelled.

"Haaaah?" Kazuma turned to her with a deadpan expression. "I'm not going to overlook suspicious circumstances cuz some chick is trying to flatter my masculine instincts with a feminine charm."

Myne's eyes subtly hardened under their pool of tears. _'You…gotta be kidding me. Out of all these freak "heroes", I thought for sure this one would be putty in my hands!'_ Kazuma turned back down to her. _'I can't lose him!'_

She gripped his collar. "Kazuma-sama! Why would I lie about this?"

"Idunno…" He squinted his eyes at her. "Maybe you're just a good-for-nothing lying bitch?"

"Ngh!" Her true nature flashed on her face for a moment.

"OI, KAZUMA!" Ritsuka scolded, intentionally dropping the honorific. "You don't _speak_ like that to a woman, especially here in Melromarc. Have you _learned_ nothing?"

The knights looked at each other awkwardly, lowering their weapons slowly with an obvious lack of certainty, having just declared to support Kazuma. The king's face switched from confident to concerned.

Killua observed the unfolding situation. _'I…wasn't expecting this from him. If anything, he seemed like the type who'd side with the majority if it meant securing his own status. What's his deal?'_

"Learned? You could say that." Kazuma palmed his face, shaking his head. "In fact, you could say there might be a reason I was summoned to a _matriarchy,_ after all…" He slowly turned his head to Ritsuka. His deadpan face hadn't faltered. "And that is because I am an advocate of _true gender equality_. As an example, if I notice something is amiss, and a man or a woman try to distract me from it with crocodile tears, I will call it out…" He stomped his foot. "WITHOUT MERCY!"

Ritsuka recoiled from his sudden outburst. He pointed a finger at her.

"You called Killua a "devil of the shield" a few seconds ago…what the hell did that mean? So _he was right_ when he said your country discriminates against the Shield Hero? Why else wouldn't anyone want to partner up with him? Did you think I forgot about all that?" He yelled at her.

"Oi, Kazuma." Killua chimed in. "I don't know if you noticed, but their church's holy symbol is all your weapons combined, while the shield is excluded. Mix in the treatment everyone's been giving me, and that should tell you everything you need to know."

Kazuma whipped his head toward him. "Is that…so?" A glimmer of light left his eyes. Insecurities of the night before rearing their ugly heads.

'_So that's how it is. If he got a different weapon when coming to this world…he would __**actually**__ be the best hero among us. Look at him, acting all cool and in control of everything. Not to mention he's smart, and strong…GODDAMMIT!' _He made a fist, glaring at it as he squeezed with all his might._ 'Is this my luck stat at work? That the reason I have a party this big is because their only other options are a gun-toting edgelord, or a weirdo with a goblin fetish? What a fucking bar to clear!' _

He raised his head and looked around the room. The woman of his own party glanced at him without enthusiasm, as if the best hero they had wasn't good enough for them. The men had no admiration in their eyes, just a mere sense of duty compelling them to follow his orders when given.

'_This fucking world... It's way too corrupt here. My other one was unbalanced, but COME ON! We're supposed to take a person's word for a crime against them, just because of their gender? What kind of reverse primitivity is that? Plus we have these Waves we have to fight off, with only one weapon we didn't get to choose, with no help from the only people in the exact same situation as us?'_

Kazuma's eyes darkened. The more he thought about it, the less likely he could foresee achieving his dreams of an easy life as a cool hero here._ 'Screw this. This world is NO BETTER than the one I was in before!' _He narrowed his eyes at his party, within which Myne was shielding herself from his judgmental glares. _'I don't even give a shit about the __**fake**__ respect they have for me. At this rate, things are gonna suck worse than back home. Never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss Megumin, Darkness and Aqua. If only they were here now…I wonder if they'd back me up and call that lying bitch out as well?'_

"Kazuma!" Ritsuka marched up to him. "What reason do you have for doubting her testimony? I should remind you of your ignorance concerning our world's history. Through the generations, the Shield Hero has an established reputation of being an unsavory cretin at the least-"

"Ritsuka…tell me something…" Kazuma spoke with a low, ominous tone. "Imagine if it wasn't a shield stuck to Killua's arm, but one of the other three weapons. Now, with that image in mind…what is it about him that makes you think he's _unsavory_? More unsavory than someone who leaves in the middle of a royal meeting to look for goblins? More unsavory than someone who fired a dangerous weapon outside their guest room window? More unsavory than someone who uses magic to steal some poor woman's underwear?"

He blushed at the sound of Cerys stuttering in embarrassment, but his irritation quickly dissolved his own.

"Cuz you know, all I'm hearing now is 'shield hero this' and 'shield hero that'…it's way too easy to see through…since he _really_ hasn't done a damn thing so far, compared to the rest of us!" He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "In fact, _why_ would Killua do something like that to her in the first place? I just talked to him last night, and he wanted as little to do with her as possible. In fact, since you seem to have forgotten… he didn't WANT to form a party with anyone!"

'_The lucky bastard, if __**I**__ was the Shield Hero, no one would wanna follow me…wait, that red-haired girl would have. Then it would be me in this situation…ok, never mind.'_ He took a step forward at Ritsuka. "If he WANTED to take advantage of some poor girl…don't you think he would have begged pathetically for people to join him when he had the chance?" He cringed at his last sentence, knowing that's how he would have behaved if he was the one left alone during the adventurer assigning.

"If you were PAYING ATTENTION…" Ritsuka stomped up even closer to him. "You would remember she explained he was intoxicated during the crime! It's no excuse, but alcohol can change a man! Sometimes even _reveal_ their true nature."

"Actually-" Killua said, from right behind Ritsuka, startling her.

"AH!" She jumped to the side.

"-I'm immune to all forms of poison. Alcohol does nothing to me. If you need proof, feel free to poison me with anything available to you in this room. I'm _not_ gonna wait around all day."

Kazuma's party crowded themselves in front of Myne, shifting themselves before the throne and standing with the knights. They readied their weapons in defensive positions, now using themselves to separate Killua from the king. He didn't care.

"Ritsuka, was it? Answer me this." Killua eyed her with a serious gaze. "What seems more likely? I took advantage of a girl who guilt-tripped me to accept her as a partner, when I made it clear I didn't want one…or this girl is framing the Shield Hero you all hate for a crime that your matriarchal society could execute me for?"

Ritsuka was about to respond, but Killua spoke before she could.

"Myne also never actually finished her story, in favor of allowing the shock value of what her tears implied I did, convince you. So I dare you…let her explain herself in detail. I'll debunk each and every _thing_ she has to say." Killua crossed his arms and looked at Myne, challenging her with his eyes.

She grit her teeth from behind the people valiantly guarding her. She underestimated how far the tables might turn against her with this particular Shield Hero, but Kazuma's uncooperative outburst further ruined her backup plans. It was necessary to have at least one of the heroes believe her story if the Shield Hero was to be properly ostracized and shunned. It was the safest and most effective way to get him killed, as well as to justify his death before the world. Kazuma was her only hope since she knew Goblin Slayer and Hajime wouldn't believe her. Or care to.

Now, with him out of the picture, she had to make sure that at least the adventurers were on her side. If Kazuma and Killua manage to convince her families own subjects that she was lying, it would effectively ruin her chances to inherit the throne.

It was then, a stampede of armored footsteps echoed from outside the castle doorway. The sight of the demolished reinforced-doors caused them to run faster. Their footsteps grew louder as they ascended the staircase. At last, a group of pale faced knights drenched with sweat reached the top of the stairs. Many panted as they rested their hands on their knees, a few collapsed while clutching their chests, and only a handful could form simple sentences.

"Shield…Hero…" The captain gulped a wad of oncoming drool that his panting nearly blew out, followed by a desperate exhale. "We…finally…got…you."

Amidst his hoarse breathing, the captain straightened himself and raised a garment of lingerie up for everyone to see. "Upon inspecting the…Shield Hero's room…" He took a few deep breaths to steady his voice. "We found this. Absolute…PROO-" His attempt to scream with outrage caused him to suffer an embarrassingly long coughing fit.

Kazuma and Killua watched, deadpan and disappointed, as his poor attempts to frame a false crime failed miserably. Along with the loosest piece of evidence they had ever witnessed.

"Did they run after you?" Kazuma asked. Killua looked up in thought.

"Y'know, I wasn't paying attention cuz I booked out of there so fast…but when I passed their horses, I must have scared them into running away." Killua smiled and shrugged.

Another group of armored footsteps cluttered up the stairs. Two brigades of knights, with no discernable purpose for their absence, jogged to their comrade's sides.

"Where are the legendary heroes I sent you to bring?!" The king yelled at their captains, irritated that they dare return empty handed. The two captains stepped forward.

"Your Highness, the Spear Hero has respectfully declined to be summoned!" One captain said, hoping the king wouldn't press for details.

'_Respectfully…I doubt that…'_ The king pinched the bridge of his nose, then turned to the other captain. "And where is the Sword Hero?"

"Um, well, he's still…uh…looking for goblins." The two men stared at each other, and in their silence, unanimously agreed to pretend he just didn't exist.

The scene became more pathetic as time passed. At this point, it was obvious no one had the strength to reign Killua in, and the one hero they hoped to count on was taking his side. It soon would not matter how many people believed Myne's testimony, and she knew it. An entire conspiracy she had planned was hinged on this very moment, yet it was slipping from her grasp. In a last ditch effort, she attempted to start a riot in her favor.

"The devil of the shield has BRAINWASHED Kazuma with his wicked magic! It has to be the work of his shield!" She screamed desperately.

An unidentifiable shout of agreement sprung from the safety of a thick, tightly-packed crowd. Yells and declarations of support echoing each other soon accumulated like a snowball into an avalanche. Slurs, chants, insults and spiteful comments meshed indistinguishably into an audible horde of noisy hatred funneling onto Killua.

Knights and adventurers, men and women, all futilely engaged in a screaming match to desperately open a slim chance to seize. Their angry voices reverberated throughout the throne room, birthing a quiet ringing in everyone's ears. The king frowned, racking his brain for a tiny thread he could pull on to begin a turning of the tide. Killua and Kazuma looked at each other.

'_All bark and no bite_.' Killua thought with an annoyed face.

"What do you wanna do?!" Kazuma yelled over the mob, sticking his fingers in his ears.

"Knock 'em all unconscious." Killua was preparing to activate Godspeed and Lightning Palm.

"**Oi!** What the hell did you two do?" A deep voice penetrated the furious pandemonium, like a bullet through armor.

The noise died down. If they were _scared_ of Killua, then they were _terrified_ of him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note:** _Bet y'all didn't expect a new chapter so soon, huh? Well, I feel that the last chapter, this one and the next are best enjoyed in as quick of a succession as possible…You'll see why._

Chapter 9

Hajime stood at the top of the staircase. His black trench coat hung down to his ankles like a cape. A single coil, welded in his cyborg arm, stretched into his coat toward the hip of the same side. His one good eye expressed a mix of curiosity and annoyance. He looked around the room at the knights and adventurers. As they stared at him, scared stiff, teary eyed, shaking nervously or silently pleading, he felt nothing.

"To make a long story short…" Killua let his electricity settle back down, and locked his fingers behind his head. "They're trying to frame me for raping some girl."

Hajime's eyebrows raised. "…Why?"

"Cuz they're a bunch of assholes." Kazuma spoke loud enough to be heard.

"Though I won't disregard that, there are more serious reasons to consider. It sets a precedent to disallow me basic citizen rights. It can even justify an execution if they could, or an expulsion if not that. If there is no deeper agenda behind it, at the least, we can surmise it's a reflection of their intense prejudice against the Shield Hero. All I can say is, no matter how you look at it, no reasonable person can walk in on this situation and not see how suspicious it is."

Hajime looked back and forth between Myne and Killua. Myne grew more anxious while Killua's nonchalance was unperturbed. After taking in the situation and putting the pieces together, Hajime looked down and pondered deeply in thought. His eyebrows furrowed as his jaw lines grew tense with whatever thoughts flitted through his mental analysis.

"Hey, Killua…" He said, still looking at the ground.

"Yea?" He replied, head rested in his interlocking fingers, voice relaxed and body calm.

Hajime slowly lifted his face, turning to Killua with a stern, indiscernible expression. "…what proof do you have that you _didn't_ do it?"

"HUH!?" Killua and Kazuma gawked simultaneously.

"Oi, Hajime, what the fuck!?" Kazuma shouted.

Killua laughed in disbelief. "Don't tell me you've fallen for their blatant bullshit."

Myne's heart skipped with excitement at the greatest turn of events that luck undeservingly graced her with.

"HAJIME-SAMA! I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU-" A deafening explosion, an object blasting past her face, and a violent shockwave slamming against her shut her up.

Behind her, a hole the size of a large man was gutted through the castles wall. Bits of broken stone continued to trickle off the fresh destruction. Hajime was glaring at her from behind his pointed pistol. A merciless glare packed with an uncaring sadism, spawned from his unhindered willingness to murder her.

"I don't _care_ about anything that's happened to you." His words seethed with a monsters inhumanity. "You're a meaningless bystander as far as I'm concerned. No, you're below that, since I don't care about this world in the slightest. _So fuck off_."

Without hesitation, Myne scurried into the flimsy security of the crowd. This left Killua and Kazuma facing Hajime with but a few feet of distance separating them.

"…Hajime, what's your deal?" Killua asked, a weary caution to his voice as he knew he was being doubted personally, rather than out of belief of Myne.

"I'll be honest with you. I really don't care what you did to her, if anything. In fact, I truly am more inclined to believe you over them, by a mile."

Killua's back straightened defensively. "BUT THEN WHY-"

"HOWEVER…" Hajime's eye grew as cold as Killua's when he invokes his assassin training. "If there's one thing about you that's _really_ stood out to me, Killua, is that your _smart_. Smarter than anyone I've ever known or met. The closest I've ever come are manga characters, like a certain dude with a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Killua was getting irritated. "If you're going to hold me in suspicion, then _explain to me_ _**why**_. I don't see how being smart has anything to do with this!"

"So our situation is this…" Hajime raised a finger as he spoke. "We might not be able to train together, but we certainly have to FIGHT together to beat these Waves. The only _supposed_ way to leave this world. So if you're a rapist, then whatever. I think it's disgusting, but as long as you don't pull any of that shit in front of me or, more importantly, make yourself my enemy, I'd leave you alone …but that's just it, _Killua_." Hajime growled his name.

He activated Intimidation, assaulting everyone in the room with the physical pressure that evoked a deep fear. Killua was no exception, but it didn't faze him as powerfully as the others. He did, however, feel the potential strength contained within Hajime. It was unlike any human he had ever encountered. It was reminiscent of Pitou in a way, but stronger, this power of a dangerous monster forged in the pits of an abyss.

"Let's play devil's advocate for a moment here. When I asked for proof, what I'm really getting at is this: Can you prove to me that you didn't orchestrate all this in a way that gets us on your side? Do you have proof that deep down, you're not that kind of person? I don't know anything about where you're from or what you're like, in all actuality. We've known each other for less than three days, and if you wanted to put up an innocent façade, I have no doubt your smart enough to make us believe it. Even now, I can't be sure if the way you're reacting to me is genuine or calculated…"

Hajime turned to the king, his knights and Kazuma's adventurers, sweeping his hand along the sight of them. "Plus, since it's obvious that this country is prejudiced against you as the Shield Hero…that means, you have the perfect circumstances to do whatever you want to someone, and convince me and Kazuma, the most important people you need to believe you, that you're innocent and they're just being assholes. You see? You can easily claim that you didn't do it, because they're trying to frame you out of prejudice!"

Hajime turned back to Killua and looked him in the eyes with a cold stare. "Now, _**if**__ you did do all that_, how am I supposed to know you won't turn on me at some vital moment down the line?"

Killua smiled nervously. "So you don't care if I'm a rapist, but instead, if I'm a liar…correct? Because then, you can't tell whether or not I'll betray you."

"Exactly." Hajime nodded. "Because if you're lying, you're looking out for your own interests, keeping them to yourself. _And_ if you're doing that…how do I know _your_ interests don't clash with _mine_? Cuz if they do, you would eventually have to get in my way for them… **and** **that would make you my enemy**."

Hajime shrugged his shoulders with the shake of his head. "I would _really_ rather avoid the cliché comrade-turned-backstabbing-villain. Although I'm confident I could overcome any trap you might ensnare me in, I can't say it's impossible. We're in an unfamiliar world with rules I'm still unaware of. And like I said, you are admittedly more intelligent than I am."

A small bead of sweat rolled beneath Killua's hairline. _'I guess this is what they mean by too smart for your own good… Dammit.'_

"So, if you're cunning enough to rape a girl and trick us into getting away with it…" Hajime snapped his fingers. "I'd rather NOT be _observed and studied_ by someone like that. Because if a time comes where you find a way to render me helpless, only to rub _this very moment _in my face, saying "you should have trusted your instincts"… Well then… Why the hell should I wait 'til you get the upper hand?"

He lifted his pistol once more, pointing at Killua. "So again, I ask…what proof do you have that you _didn't_ rape her?"

Killua took a step back, composure remaining cool and collected. _'Well, at the least, I can sympathize with his reasons. Hell, I might've done the same thing if we were reversed…but still, this sucks hard…'_ "It's too bad you feel this way. Unfortunately, I don't have anything to show, unless you're capable of remote viewing the past." _'Where's someone like Pakunoda when you need them?!'_

Hajime sighed, lowering his pistol ever so slightly. "Since I do believe you didn't actually do it, I'm not going to _just_ kill you to be on the safe side…I even dare say I'm interested in you. But I **can't** let this go without some closure."

Kazuma waved his hands in the air to snatch his attention. "Then why don't you just interrogate Myne!? Why Killua?"

"Hmm." Hajime looked down. "What's the best way to explain this…" After some thought, he looked back up to Kazuma. "So listen, I have a bit of a theory. That there are two levels of impractical pain, barely serving a purpose beyond sadistic torture."

He raised his free hand, extending a finger, then another, accordingly as he spoke.

"One is too light, where you cause needless injury to no avail, particularly when the victims will is too strong to break. There's also the chance that they'll pretend the pain is much more severe for them than it actually is. The other is _too_ intense, where you make them suffer so bad they'll cry out anything they _think you want_ _them_ to say. There's a strong chance they'll tell the truth, but it'd be hard to tell for some people when they're hysteric, especially pathological liars."

He pulled the two fingers he raised back into a fist.

"However, in between those two degrees, there is a small bracket of hurt you can inflict where the truth will be revealed. Like a small window where, if you hit its opening, it's like a special button that draws out the innermost honesty buried beneath layers of facades, fickleness and self-serving lies. The kind of honesty you know is _honest_…" He pointed at Myne. "That's why I won't question her _first_."

Myne's body went cold as gasps and stutters reverberated around her. _'I'm…next?' _Hajime ignored the sounds.

"If I go too little, she might just exaggerate and still lie, if she's the one lying. Also, since she's just a normal human, it's too easy to go too hard on her. What _I_ think is nothing might be the most excruciating pain for her, and she'll cry out anything I want to hear. Plus, she's a nobody…he's the only potential threat to me here." He cocked his head toward Killua.

"And if he's the one lying, then the reasons I just explained would help _him_ more than it would answer any of _my_ questions. So that's why. I have to make sure we weren't summoned alongside an evil genius, y'know? And because of that, I hate to say this, but…" He turned back to Killua with a solemn face. "I have a bad feeling it'll take _a lot_ before I can find that small window of pain for you."

A second coil slithered out from Hajime's robotic arm, disappearing into his trench coat, only stopping when a click echoed through the ominous silence of the throne room. His vicious intent spilled from him in waves. As a fellow killer, with instincts of this sort refined to sharpest degrees, Killua intuitively gauged the power of his opponent. It caused his mind to flash with a memory.

The moment he excised his brother's needle from his forehead, allowing him to overcome his escapist fighting style. A deep gratitude permeated his heart toward the Chimera-Ant-Rabbit he killed who forced him to do it. In this moment, bearing the terrifying presence of Hajime's power, he came to a realization. One that, if the needle was still in his forehead, would have crippled him helpless with fear.

'_There is… __**absolutely**__… no way __I can run away from him!' _

_**Authors Note:**__ Hello again! Now, I just wanted to say a few things. This chapter has been planned since I first posted this story. I've read all your comments and the predictions, and have been both excited and anxious for how this twist will be received. Guess I'll find out once the post goes through :D_

_So something important I want to put out, Hajime is the ONLY character primarily based on the Light Novel material (up to volume 4 exactly), everything else is anime-only. Reason I'm mentioning this is because I couldn't stomach Arifureta's anime, and having watched a few clips on youtube, it does both his character AND his strength an insulting injustice. With that being said, if you are not familiar with the names of Hajime's powers or the true impact of his feats, I would advise some cautious, spoiler-free wiki research to brush up on it. Or just enjoy the ride as it comes, either way is fine. The next chapter should be posted sometime Saturday as long as all in life proceeds smoothly._

_I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story! Things are about to get…messy._

_Lol._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The scene was tense. Killua's Ren and Hajime's Intimidation twisted into a macabre pressure, plaguing the atmosphere with the hostility of the grim reaper. Everyone around, helplessly watching, felt like death itself was breathing heavily down their necks. Their hair stood atop goosebumps as it waited patiently to claim them; Punishment for their weakness in the presence of such enormous violent intent.

Kazuma had it particularly bad. He had no instincts sensitive to these dangers, and lacked the experience from which intuition for such is grown. Yet even so, as a dull, average teenager with nothing exceptional about him, his racing heart priming him for escape was enough to make him understand. He saw the same vicious dread seeping into everyone else. Knights, adventurers and the king alike all sharing an equal degree of racked nerves under clammy skin. Still though, what made it worse for him, was that another concern, equally impactful, was building right alongside it.

'_This is bad!'_ He panicked. _'No one else believes Killua, I'm the only one who can stop this. What do I do? I get where Hajime is coming from, but there's gotta be a better way! This is __**my chance**__ to do something important, something BADASS. I have the perfect opportunity to be the MVP, and I can't do a damn thing?!'_

"**KAZUMA!**" Killua snapped him out of his frightened trance. "Get everyone out of here_. __**Now**_."

He stared at him just a bit longer, letting the words sink in, before suffering an immense shame at his own uselessness.

"EVERYONE! FOLLOW ME, WE'RE EVACUATING, NO IF, ANDS OR BUTS!" He shouted with all his strength, devoting himself to what he _could_ do.

Ritsuka was the first to respond to his voice, perking up from a similar trance. They made eye contact across the room and she nodded. She raised her arm and swung it toward him.

"Kazuma-sama's orders, let's move! Your highness, my apologies, but this includes you too!" In spite of her consideration, the king, with Myne in hand, was among the first to run toward the broken doors.

They split around Hajime and Killua, surrounding them in a stampede of hurried trampling. It wasn't until the sound was almost dead out of range that either of them made a move. Hajime pulled his guns out from each hip. Killua studied him in an instant.

'_Due to the rules of this world, he requires makeshift mana-coils to use those two revolvers. I'm not sure where his other guns are, but I'm not going to assume so easily that they're just not accessible. He also has that ability to charge forward at an insane speed, so he most likely has other base skills beyond his weapons too… If I can't beat him, maybe I can even out the odds against me until he'd be willing to discuss an alternate solution…'_

Killua started walking with an odd, rhythmic gait. Multiple images of himself, mirroring his every step, split from him until a row of holographic clones marched toward Hajime.

"Useless." Using Demon Eye, Hajime pinpointed which "image" Killua was, darting in front of him with Supersonic Step and a pistol level to his forehead. He pulled the trigger.

The shockwave blew the other afterimages away with a wispy ripple, but Killua dodged with an instant bend backwards, seeing a small crater gouge the stone floor behind. The other pistol was already aimed for his leg, but again he darted aside to dodge it. The gunshots relentlessly followed Killua, missing by mere millimeters a millisecond after he'd move from one spot to another.

Hajime tracked Killua with his one eye, more than enough to do so, as his fingers fired bullets so fast that an entire chamber emptied and reloaded in a single boom. Killua darted imperceptibly around the open room, straining his speed and agility to dodge an onslaught of bullets following his every step. Stained glass windows shattered. Tapestries shredded. Thrones broke into pieces and balconies collapsed. Large holes exploded through the stone walls, sun rays beaming inside at several angles, visible due to dust and smoke.

Hajime's head whipped back and forth, his arm automatically following without a break in his shooting rhythm. He was getting used to Killua's movement and his bullets began grazing skin, drawing blood from minor cuts. His eye slowly adjusted to the blurry body in constant motion, allowing his accuracy to improve incrementally.

'_Just another shot or two and I'll nail him right in the knee.' _

His prediction was spot on. The trajectory of his next shot flew into the path that Killua's leg was just about to position itself. Hajime smirked.

"Got ya!"

Then, with a blinding flash that consumed his sight, Killua teleported.

"What?" Before Hajime finished pronouncing the word, his Sense Presence alerted him to something behind. He whipped his guns around within the same breath, watching one of the coils to his guns get ripped out by Killua's veiny claw. His body was surging with electricity, enhancing his speed a hundredfold. His eyes were devoid of color, pupils pinpoint with concentration, and a face stilled with assassins intent.

'_So that's how he got to the castle!'_ Claws swung at Hajime, from his peripherals, at the side with his human arm. Using Diamond Skin, he blocked it without damage. Killua then grabbed his robot arm, blasting waves of lightning through it to conduct into his body. Hajime countered Killua's white lightning with the red bolts of his Lightning Field, negating the electric shock. With his opponent close and his one good gun, he bent his wrist and shot at Killua.

He moved out the way in unison to Hajime's finger pulling the trigger. He leapt in zig zag patterns to make himself a difficult target while putting distance between them. Despite only having one gun, the speed at which Hajime shot and re-loaded at was equal to an automatic rifle, shooting non-stop, with infinite bullets. However, Killua was able to dodge such an assault at twice the firepower without Godspeed.

This annoyed Hajime, as the time it would take to transmute another coil would give Killua an opening he definitely would not ignore. Though he was far from gaining the upper hand, if things continued to go this way, their fighting ground may eventually be evened. It was because of this, Hajime remained extra cautious. That realization birthed a sneaking suspicion that Killua had yet another a trick up his sleeve.

'_The thing about highly intelligent opponents is you can't ever underestimate how far ahead they're thinking…'_

Using Supersonic Step and Aerodynamic, Hajime moved at a speed and agility that encroached on Godspeeds superior pace. As if invisible footholds existed midair, Hajime zipped from omnidirectional angles. He fired Polygonal Shots, making his bullets ricochet with calculated precision, trying to trap Killua in a semi-spherical axis of a metallic death storm. He could see plenty of close calls, but against a terrifically skilled target akin to a sentient bolt of lightning, there were no hits.

'_I feel like there's no way he's __**just**__ running around dodging all of this…he's definitely trying something.' _It was nothing more than a gut feeling, but Hajime knew better than to ignore it.

He surrounded his free hand with Gale Claw, swinging it in a large arc, sending a long slice of wind into the thickest patch of starry voltage. It missed, slashing a thin gash deep into the mutilated stone floor. Killua used the opportunity to get behind him. It was the safest spot to attack from, so Hajime expected this, shooting backwards with the shotgun embedded in his elbow.

He heard Killua grunt in pain, then spun without half a second's hesitation. Several chambers worth of bullets converged on the electric silhouette beyond the gun smoke. Once it finally cleared, he stopped shooting.

"No fucking way." His eyes widened above a grin of admiration.

Killua's shield was held before him, angled at a slant to deflect the bullets up without taking their impact head on. His shield, though, mirrored the material quality of his bullets, forged from Orcus Dungeon Ore. He'd recognize it anywhere. He lowered his gun out of respect.

"Ok, how the hell d'ya do that?"

Killua, face gleaming under a sheen of sweat, smiled proudly.

"This shield can absorb and integrate materials…so I couldn't see a reason why your bullets would be any different. That's why I couldn't resist catching one. I figured I could deflect them if I mixed their material with the magic properties of my shield."

"Heh? Catch one? That's nuts, dude!" _'Kouki can't even do that!'_ I don't suppose you'll explain how? I can't imagine why you'd wait this long to pull it off, if you could have defended yourself like that from the start…"

"You expect me to reveal my techniques?" Killua tried to mask his panting. "They're the only thing keeping me healthy and in one piece."

Hajime smirked and shook his head. "Guess I'll have to watch closely then."

Supersonic Step brought Hajime an arms-length from Killua, pistol aimed point blank. With Godspeed activated already…Killua flipped his switch on, intensely amplifying Snake Awakens. His arms flailed unpredictably, trained to shred anything in contact, at speeds invisible to even Hajime's eye.

'_If I use Speed of Lightning to move freely of my own accord, I could go purely on the offensive like this... But with Whirlwind, my body reacts specifically to how Hajime moves. By focusing Ko on my palms, I was able to snatch a bullet amidst that barrage as soon as it touched my hand…with this new shield, I can now catch AND deflect. I'll just have to hope an opening shows itself so I'll attack via reflex… so the best thing to do is wait to switch Godspeed modes after he's revealed another skill, and try like hell to find a way to exploit it…' _Killua clicked his tongue. _'Damn I wish I had my yoyo's!'_

Hajime was forced to take a step back of his own now._ 'It's not as simple as just catching that bullet…There's a complexity to how his powers work. It's more than what meets the eye. Now with one gun down, and a shield made of the same material as my bullets…that means I was right. His goal IS to try and even the battlefield.' _His face was taken over by the sinister smile he's helpless to do when fighting a strong opponent. _'Hell, he might even have an alternative proposal planned already! If he does, it'd definitely be convincing…I'm gonna actually have to be careful with you.'_ He admired, then activated Riftwalk.

Reality seemed to slow down as if the air itself thickened into an atmospheric sludge. One only he could cut through with ease. Hajime's speed increased alongside all five of his senses heightened to their sharpest degrees. The precision of his sped-up actions refined themselves to the thousandth of each second. Thus, the most microscopically fleeting slip-up of Killua's would cost him the fight. He noticed this a _second_ too late when Hajime's movements began suddenly matching up with his, despite their difference a mere _fraction_ of a second prior.

Fortunately, Killua made the right choice maintaining Whirlwind, causing his body to react before his superhumanly quick mind had even caught on. Like a magnet constantly repelling from its opposing pole, his body was relinquished to sharp evasive reflexes. Hajime repeatedly closed in on him at discomforting proximities, but he was always one step ahead as if acting on future sight.

For a moment, Hajime wanted to activate Limit Break to increase his power even further, for no purpose other than to show off and amaze himself at the extent of Killua's strength. However, despite what fun he may have inadvertently enjoyed, there was a real purpose behind this fight he had not forgotten. Now was not the time to waste his own energy more than necessary.

Hajime stopped. Killua leapt back a dozen yards and gladly took a moments rest to catch his breath. He was soaked with sweat, looking like he just came out of water, and panting heavily, desperately chasing a breath he couldn't quite catch. He was bleeding from numerous grazes across his body, but they were no more than burning tingles to him. Hajime, on the other hand, hadn't even broken a bead on his forehead, despite the black trench coat that had to have kept him unnecessarily warm.

***[Meanwhile]

As soon as they evacuated the castle, explosions rivaling bombs and thunder blasted from inside. From a distance they thought themselves safe, they watched the castle walls shred open from within, accompanied by the rapid fire eruptions worse than any storm conceivable. Massive chunks of stone debris trailed through the sky in all directions, a dangerous number of them falling straight at the evacuated crowd. Several helpless screams merged as the knights and adventurers were helpless against the shower of broken stone.

"SNIPE!" Kazuma's voice rang out as he released a drawn arrow.

In mid-air, the arrow lit up and duplicated itself into several clones, each one nailing an incoming chunk of stone, blowing it up into harmless dust. The remaining masses of hailing rocks smashed around the people, digging deep trails into the dirt until they skid to stops. Impressed, Ritsuka walked up to Kazuma's side with the intent to thank him, but was halted by the sight of his worried face stuck on the exploding castle.

'_Goddamn, I feel pathetic. I couldn't help Killua at all…and this is happening all cuz of that fucking bitch!'_ Kazuma shot a nasty glare at Myne, but withdrew it immediately to keep an eye on the castle. _'Ironically, as long as I keep hearing those gunshots, I know Killua's OK for the moment. Meanwhile, I gotta do something! Convince Hajime somehow! At this point, I'm starting not to care how epic I look doing it. I can't just let him be maimed, only for that bitch to relish in the fact she was basically the reason for it…'_

Kazuma turned around to the crowd.

"Hey! I know some of you know what Myne said is bullshit! Put your petty prejudice aside and help stop this!"

No one made eye contact. However, from the different expressions on the averted faces, he could see a contrast between everyone. It ranged from faith in Myne's lie to a growing doubt they didn't want to admit before their peers. He lost all patience for it.

"You mean to _fucking_ tell me there's nothing that any you can do?" His disgust towards this world was growing rapidly, making his concern for Killua's safety more prominent.

"Kazuma-sama…" Ritsuka spoke up. "It's…not that easy. Is there really anything we can do? Even the Shield Hero himself said that he doesn't have evidence. At this point-"

"Ritsuka, you wanna know who _Aqua_ is?"

"Huh?" She blinked in confusion before the name finally resurfaced in her memory.

"She's a useless twat. A so-called "Goddess" of another world that I dragged her into cuz I figured I'd be invincible with her by my side. Turns out a wooden club has more use than her. She whines constantly, wastes our money and resources, gets us into all sorts of unnecessary trouble, and in general is one of the top 5 most annoying things I've ever experienced in my life."

Ritsuka's eyebrow twitched at the crude insults Kazuma ruthlessly described this person with.

"Yet…when I was thrown in jail, with a possible execution around the corner, she did everything that her dumb little brain could think of to get me out. Granted, she knew that I wasn't guilty of the crime, but she at least _racked her brain and tried_…so my point is this…" Kazuma glared at Ritsuka, startling her with a sincere display of repugnance. "If the most useless, hopeless, and annoying person I've ever met, when it comes down to it, has more integrity than any of you so-called "knights" or "adventurers" here…then why should _I_, your best hero _by default_, make an effort to save this world? I'd be fighting for legalized injustice."

A deep shame thread itself through the hearts of everyone who felt at least a hint of doubt toward Myne. The king, however, was not one of them. He was absolutely certain of her claims. And so, in his certainty, he revealed something of major importance.

"Actually, Kazuma-sama…"

***[Back at the castle]

The room was a violent mess of a battleground. The floor was gouged with craters. The walls more holes than stone, just barely being held up and together. Not a single object in the room resembled what solid form they once had been crafted to be. The room stunk with gunpowder. The only sounds were coming from Killua, a gentle buzzing from his Godspeed sizzling around his body, and his guttural breathing. Until Hajime spoke.

"You know I've been holding back, right?" He stated dry and bluntly.

Killua nodded. "…Cuz you don't intend to kill me, I assume?"

Hajime sighed. "I'll hand it to you, you're strong. Seriously, you've earned my respect…but I'm not backing out on this until I can say with certainty that I trust you. Now, I _wanted_ to at least leave you able-bodied, believe it or not…but unfortunately…"

Hajime activated his Treasure Trove, replacing Donner with Metzelei in the blink of an eye. The mana-coil was attached as soon as it manifested.

"I don't think we have that luxury any longer."

Killua's eyes widened with terror at the massive Gatling gun spawned from thin air. _'He has free access to all his weapons, just like that? FUCK! His revolvers alone had more power than anti-tank rifles! This thing is gonna…' _He couldn't even finish his thought, as the barrel was lifted until it pointed straight at him.

***[Outside]

"DUMBASS! YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS! HOW DUMB CAN YOU BE?" Kazuma gripped the king by his collar, yanking him face to face. "**This is a serious question**: Were you born like this? Or did you just become _stupid_ at some point?"

"Ngh! Er, uh…" The king stuttered, his face flashing between insulted and embarrassed, before Kazuma let him go, dropping him on his back.

"Listen, you BETTER get someone now who can make one of those _things_ before I return. Because if you don't…once I let Hajime and Killua know about them, they're gonna stop fighting…" Kazuma's eyes darkened, emphasizing the menace of his threat. "…**And come over here**."

Regardless of if they believed Myne or Killua, everyone stood up straight and agreed at that.

"I-I'll do it! I'm on it! Right…" A young paladin, the same one who accidentally sent Goblin Slayer on an unachievable quest, ran toward the Castle Town in search for a particular individual to suit Kazuma's request.

As he ran, Kazuma sprinted the opposite way toward the castle. It had been eerily silent for the past minute, and this worried him.

'_Please don't tell me I'm too late, I just discovered the perfect thing to stop this!'_ He thought to himself, a genuine concern overriding the ego stroke he had been constantly trying to fulfill.

Just then, the castle began to obliterate itself from the inside out. The entire palace, built atop a mountainous bluff, already riddled with holes, blew outward in an explosive expanse of thick dust and thicker waves of bullets. Thousands of stray shots began whizzing overhead, causing Kazuma, and the crowd of people far behind, to all drop to the ground, huddling the grass for safety. The clouds overhead split apart as bullets pierced through, cutting their way to the heavens. Everyone jammed their palms against their ears to block out the nonstop sonic boom, blasting like a never-ending bomb.

"HOLY SHIT, HAJIME!" Kazuma screamed into the ground.

200 bullets per second. 12,000 per minute. 60,000 in a nonstop barrage over the course of 5 minutes. What remained of the castle was incinerated into oblivion. The stone structure, built over the course of decades, inhabited by a long line of royal descendants, chipped away into dust under tens of thousands of successive gunshots. Hajime used Riftwalk, Supersonic Step and Air Dance to maximize his speed, agility and accuracy, waving Metzelei wherever the electric silhouette dashed. The constant gunfire was more akin to a laser beam of metal projectiles then mere automatic shots.

Killua's saving grace lay not in skill, strategy, or luck. Instead, it was his prodigious talent fine-bred by the bloodline of elite assassins. Using Godspeed, Speed of Lightning, he held himself in that sweet spot close enough to the barrel of Metzelei, where it was counter-intuitively easiest to dodge its aim, while staying far enough from Hajime's reach where he couldn't be gripped and held still, or attacked by his close-range skills. They both could feel themselves descending, as each concrete floor disappeared like fading clouds.

Anytime the spray of metal got too close, he used his Orcus Dungeon Ore Shield to brush them away. Any piece of stone debris that wasn't dust, even a pebbles worth, served as a foothold for Killua to bounce off of. He collected and tossed them mid-air in one fluid motion, all the while attentive of Metzelei's spray. His mind was empty. Thoughts were non-existent. Every neuron converged solely into absolute focus on the moment.

By pushing his mind, body and soul to the utmost limits of their potential, trusting his superhuman reflexes, and using every necessary bit of electric power on Godspeed, he managed to evade the bullet-shower for the entirety of 5 whole minutes. The longest, most challenging and extremely terrifying, 5 minutes he'd ever experienced.

Metzelei's barrel stopped spinning, each metal tube glowing a bright orange, unable to shoot another round. Killua jumped a far distance back and rested on a knee, panting with hoarse breaths and struggling to keep his tired eyes open. It was a few seconds until he noticed how soft the ground felt under his knee, sparing a quick glance beneath himself, only to see a shredded field of dirt and stone. The castle they were inside of less than 10 minutes ago was gone. Utterly demolished. Even the sky, as blue as a clean ocean, was only visible through a circle of clouds surrounding it with torn edges cut from gunfire. Hajime looked at his Gatling gun and sighed.

"Guess I can't use this for a while." He activated Treasure Trove, replacing Metzelei with Orkan, his multi-round rocket launcher.

A chill ran down Killua's spine. _'I can't keep distance between us with a weapon like that! The range of the explosions make it impossible to dodge at the last second, but if it fires multiple shots, I'll just be encased in a ring of fire as I evade until I'm eventually trapped or hit…and if I try to get close and he uses that skin-hardening ability while launching it beneath us, I'm the only one who will take damage. It probably has an insane shooting speed too, and I don't even think I can move like I have been either. I'm too exhausted… This is bad, real bad…'_

It was worse than he thought. It was at this moment, the worst of all possible times…Killua's Godspeed died out. His frizzled hair nestled gently on his head as his hyper-charged reflexes slowed to mere physical autonomy.

"NO! OH SHIT!" He panicked.

"Well, well…no more lightning running, huh?" Hajime said. "I doubt it's a feint. You and I both know you can't afford to move slower than you have been at this point, no matter how short a period of time."

He activated Treasure Trove again, returning Orkan, and pulling out his Pile Bunker. Even with Supersonic Step giving him super-sped leaps and Aerodynamic giving him invisible mid-air footholds, he still maintained Riftwalk. With ultra-increased speed and sharpened senses, his very perception of time was slowed enough to react to any surprises. He didn't mind the mana it drained him of as a cost._ 'I can't afford to underestimate you…you are seriously amazing.'_

Killua had no choice but to back away. His nerves may have been on high alert, but he knew for a fact Hajime was one Supersonic Step away from reaching him. _'I could try reasoning with him now, but the only condition I can imagine him agreeing to, is one that puts me under his constant surveillance. Even then, I know he'll be extremely cautious of my every action…Shit, I wouldn't even accept a proposal like that.' _Killua's heart skipped a beat when he realized that_. 'There really is no way…I can get myself out of this.' _He accepted defeat alongside a blow to his pride. As well as an apprehension for what is to come._ 'Damn, this is gonna hurt…' _

Hajime used his Pile Bunker to point at Killua's side. "I'll start with your arm without the shield, so at least you can still run like that and defend yourself against the Waves. Just a warning though, even if I do believe you after just that, your arm might be irreparably pulverized. If that happens…" He raised his robotic arm, wiggling his fingers. "I'll owe you a cyborg arm. I'm sure I can find something in this world to make one out of. But if your arm still isn't enough for me…well…" His eyebrows furrowed, conveying a reluctance to ruin such raw potential. "We'll worry about that if we get there."

Killua gave a wry smile. _'Well…at least a robot arm sounds kind of cool…' _He still continued backing up, knowing how futile it was.

In the distance, behind the mounds of crushed castle debris, Kazuma was pulling himself up to the crest of a pile.

"This is nuts! What kind of weapons does this guy have?" He said to himself, mostly out of sheer amazement.

When he finally reached the top, he saw an exhausted Killua desperately backing away from Hajime, who had a gigantic Pile Bunker attached to his robot-arm. It was swelling with red bolts of mana, ready to be shot at any moment. Kazuma had seen how fast his Supersonic Step is when he abandoned the adventurer assignment. So he knew that the distance between them meant nothing. There was also no guarantee Hajime would care about anything he'd say, so screaming was a poor option. He had to act NOW.

Immediately, Kazuma cocked his arm backwards, then thrust it toward Hajime with his palm wide open. _'His pile bunker, his mana coil, his freaking eye patch, something to distract him. ANYTHING!...Just please not-'_

"STEAL!" He yelled as he made a fist.

A light flashed between his fingers. Hajime stopped in his tracks, yet nothing seemed different about him. Killua whipped his head to Kazuma, a look of surprise and gratitude lightening his face. There he was, standing several yards away, with a terribly awkward expression lined with streaks of sweat trickled from his forehead.

"Hehehe…I guess…since I was so focused on trying NOT to get them…" He unraveled his fist, revealing anime-themed boxers. "I ended up inadvertently channeling all my mental energy into them. Funny thing the mind is, eh?" He spoke to no one in particular. _'Hey, the girl on here is kinda cute…'_

He felt something sharp poke his forehead. The four-ton spike of a Pile Bunker adjusted into view, with Hajime holding it to him, towering with a menacing presence and a scowl of unhindered fury. "You have 10 seconds to explain why you stole my underwear."

Kazuma spent the first few seconds groaning stupidly in despair. "GUUUUUUUHHHH!" _'How do I explain this? Wait, that's not important!'_ The words flew out in a single breath. "In this world there's a fool-proof way to find out if someone's lying!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

Hajime and Killua responded at the same time. Kazuma sighed with relief.

"Phew…Yeah! Apparently they have these things called Slave Crests. You can paint it on someone and force them to do whatever you ask them, including tell nothing but the truth. So I figured we'll put one on that bitch and get the truth out of her."

"HUUUH! WAIT, ARE YOU _FUCKING_ KIDDING ME!" Killua stomped, sending dirt flying dozens of feet above him, re-energized by a surge of anger. "HOW'D YOU FIND THIS OUT?"

"The king told me." Kazuma could feel the murderous intent pour off him.

"Ohhhhhh." He let out a long, restrained breath. His fingers sharpened into claws while bloody veins slithered across his eyes. "I'm gonna _fucking_ kill him."

"Wait." Hajime said. "You can kill him afterwards. I wanna put a Slave Crest on him too. We can find out once and for all if we need to actually fight these Waves to go back to our worlds."

At that, Killua remembered the agenda he pieced together which the king was attempting to pull off.

"Actually, that's a good idea. I have a few important questions I need to ask him too."

Kazuma looked back and forth between the two monsters. Killua took his shirt off and sat down, fanning himself while breathing deeply. He was dirty and soaked with sweat, but the most he had suffered were minor grazes from bullets he dodged. This contradicted the unrecognizably demolished ruins of a once-castle they now stood upon. Meanwhile, Hajime was transmuting a new cord from his arm to one of his guns.

It was boggling to Kazuma's mind. "So hey, guys?"

They both looked up from what they were doing.

"…Is that it? You're just _done_ now?"

The two of them exchanged a quick glance, a newfound respect for each other in their eyes, before looking back at Kazuma.

"Well, it's not like Hajime hadn't made his intentions clear from the start. After all, if he wanted to kill me, he could have used that gatling gun and rocket launcher together as soon as I started causing trouble for him. " Killua explained nonchalantly, before plopping backwards against the dirt to rest. "Hey…it's like sand at the beach. This is comfortable."

Hajime cocked his thumb at Killua. "It's like he said. Plus, if it wasn't for that damn spear hindering what I can fight with, I actually have a bunch of weapons I can utilize with those two. But yeah, it's not like I expected him to just lay there and take it. I was prepared for a confrontation from the start. I stand by my decision, so in extension, the actions that ensued as well… but all I wanted was proof that I could trust him. We got a way to do that now, and he's obviously up for it. So… we're good as far as I'm concerned." Hajime sat down too. "Hey…this _is_ comfortable." He then reattached the mana-coil to his revolver and proceeded to use Duplicate Transmutation to replace the ammunition he'd used up.

Kazuma watched them with a jealous twitch to his eyebrow. '_Is this…what it's like to be strong? Or are these two just fucking nuts?!'_


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: If you are anime-only for Shield Hero (such as myself) there is a _tiny_ detail in this chapter you may notice that doesn't directly get addressed. This is due to its spoiler(-ish) nature (nothing too big, but still). Obviously...I did this so I _don't_ spoil anything for you from the actual source material lol. So FYI, this is a pattern I will try to maintain through the story should it ever be necessary again. Though it will probably be infrequent honestly, seeing as how this fic is based on the anime. Regardless, if this authors-note becomes relevant again, I wanted to put it here at least so you'll all be aware.

Chapter 11

There existed royal employees who had the capability to create a Slave Crest. However, as they feared revealing they knew about them all along, none had stepped forward, and each refused the young paladin's request. This forced him to resort to an option he considered detestable. One he would never had chosen of his own volition, if not for the threat Hajime had posed. Though he had yet to act on his threats, the seriousness with which he spoke left little room for doubt. No one wanted to find out how true to his deadly word he may be. Thus, the young paladin made contact with Beloukas, the slave trader.

The sight of an adventurer, entrusted to the Bow Hero by their kingdom, leading a slave trader to the scene of a terrible explosion, naturally incited mass curiosity. Every villager brimmed with questions. What had caused the castle to be destroyed? What was the source of those deafening blasts? Why is an adventurer of the Bow Hero's party leading a slave trader to the aftermath? The young paladin kept his gaze forward, knowing he couldn't provide them all with an easy answer. As a result, many villagers abandoned their current duties to follow the mismatched duo.

Eventually, an enormous crowd had gathered to watch. Awaiting them was the sight of the king and Myne kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. Beyond them in the distance was the target of the destruction. They gawked and marveled at the mountainous bluff their ruler's castle once stood upon. All that lay in its memory were scarred chunks of bristly debris and piles of stone dust.

The sight of the massive crowd further wrought a piercing worry to the king's gut. _'This is bad enough as it is, but with this many of my subjects here, depending on what questions are asked…this can spell my ruin as king. I've worked TOO HARD to lose what I have gained!' _He kept his face composed in a solemn, undisturbed facade._ 'Fortunately…a Slave Crest won't work on me. Malty shouldn't know the answers to the most incriminating questions, the ones that would reveal how I've summoned the heroes for Melromarc exclusively…as long as she hasn't looked too deeply into matters behind my back.' _His heart softened at the thought of his daughter invading his personal business. _'No. Of course she wouldn't.'_

The villagers spread themselves in a massive arc, so as not to encircle the occurring trial, yet to provide everyone a chance to witness what was about to happen. The knights and adventurers sat before them in a smaller crowd, with the two prisoners at the tip of the gathering. Hajime and Killua walked up to their respective choice of person. Kazuma sat back with his party, cross-legged, obviously bored with his elbow dug into his thigh, lazily propping his head up.

Beloukas walked up to Myne. She screamed in pain when the Slave Crest was painted on her chest. The king sneered as this happened, but his anger was directed at Killua and Hajime for creating this situation. A pact between Myne and Hajime was established, while Killua prepared to assign himself to the king. Beloukas stalled as he stood before him. The king looked up and gave the slave trader a knowing smirk.

"What is it?" Killua asked.

"Uh…" Beloukas gripped the back of his neck as his eyebrows furrowed anxiously. "Well, you see…a Slave Crest won't work on the king."

Kazuma shouted a disappointed "HUH!?" and Killua's forehead pulsed with annoyance. Hajime just narrowed his eyes at him. The king began chuckling.

"Unfortunately, you won't be able to force the answers you want out of me." He glared at them with the unmistakable authority of a royal. _'Ask me why, and I'll tell you who I once was and exactly why the Slave Crest won't work. After I reveal that, you'll know what information I can offer. Malty doesn't know as much as I do, so I can use that as leverage in my advantage. Hajime will probably threaten to torture me, but I'll propose to exchange information and grant a free pass to leave this country without hindrance.'_

He glanced at each hero's face, watching them express distinct reactions he predicted they each would convey. It was a positive indication they were each falling into positions he wanted them in._ 'I have earned my position as king in Melromarc, so my deeds of the past should prove me to be a valuable asset to you. Then, once you're out of my country… I'll mobilize my military, I'll assemble hundreds of adventurers, I'll hire the most renowned assassins, and I will hunt you, damn Shield and you false heroes that support him, to the ends of this fucking earth!'_

"Hajime…" Killua spoke. "Someone as arrogant as him would usually seize the opportunity, gladly, to brag about himself. If he's not saying any more than that, it's likely cuz he wants us to ask why, allowing him to steer the conversation under his control. Ignore him. It's annoying and it sucks, but if we can't guarantee honest answers from him, then let's focus on the person from whom we can."

"What?!" Panic shined in the king's eyes as his plan broke apart.

Killua noticed his reaction but remained cautious. _'I guess it would've been too good to be true if I could just get the answers out from him like that. There's skill to how he operates and lies, so he's experienced in this regard. He might be an asshole, but he's got some brains in him…'_ It didn't show on his face, but a flutter of excitement rushed through his chest. _'Fine. I'm up for some mind games if that's what it takes to get the truth out of you!'_

Hajime glared at the king. "Well thanks, you spared me a waste of time. I'm not in the mood to play around. There's only one thing I want to know…" He turned to Myne. "Did Killua rape you?"

"YES!" She didn't hesitate. "He broke into my room and-" Then was cut off by a crackling surge of bright bolts paralyzing her with painful shocks.

"Called it!" Kazuma raised his hand. Ritsuka huffed at him, albeit with a look of guilt on her face.

Hajime shrugged. "I figured. Just had to be sure."

Killua stared at him for a few seconds. _'We destroyed an entire castle just for that…'_ He closed his eyes and sighed. "Hey, ask her how she's associated with the king. There's an obvious level of cooperation between them, since he conveniently forgot to use a Slave Crest on _me_ when I was accused."

"Wait!" The king straightened his back and leaned forward. "Slave Crests don't work on legendary heroes, present or former! That's why we couldn't use it on you."

"Hmm?" Killua raised a brow over a cold eye. "So why didn't you put one on Myne then? Are you gonna say it's because she's a _female_ in a _matriarchy_? Is gender status in this country **so** significant, that a _mere citizen_ can accuse a _**legendary hero **_of a false crime, and not have a proper investigation with an infallible lie detector performed?"

The king glowered. "You're the _**Shield Hero**_. A legendary bastard is all you are. It wasn't worth putting a potential victim of rape through such troubles just to see if _you_ were guilty."

Killua smiled. "So then…you admit to being an incompetent king, unable to judge without bias, making you unworthy of your position and power due to your willing ignorance? Or do you admit that there is a connection between you and Myne you don't want us to find out…since you only spoke up once I told Hajime to ask the question?"

The king's eyes went wide, realizing he fucked up. _'He's sharp! I need to be more careful…'_

"Are you associated with him in any way?" Hajime asked Myne, cocking his head toward the king. She scowled for a moment, conflicted on how to respond.

"Yes." She bared her teeth. "He is…" She grit them, then looked down. "…My father."

"HA!" Hajime stuck his finger at her. "No wonder she's a fucking bitch!"

"HA!" Killua pointed at the king and laughed.

Kazuma keeled over breathless with laughter. Ritsuka withheld her urge to whack him over the head. Hajime sighed with a smile.

"Well now, I would have preferred to ask your _father_ this, but whatever..." The fun and games vanished from his face. "Is it absolutely necessary for us to defeat these Waves before we can return home?"

"Yes." Myne narrowed her eyes at him. "If I could have gotten rid of you all sooner, I would have done so before you destroyed my home!" She growled at him, Slave Crest doing nothing.

"You can't just summon a new set of heroes?" Killua asked.

"Actually…" The king smirked. "There is a way we can do that."

The three hero's perked their heads up, turning his way. His smirk grew into a full-blown smile.

"If all the current heroes DIE, then four NEW heroes can be summoned once again!"

"Not happening."

"Not happening."

"Not happening."

They said simultaneously. Killua analyzed Myne for a moment, then turned to Beloukas.

"Hey, can two people form a pact with one person?"

He jumped when Killua addressed him. "Ah…y-yes. W-would you…like to?"

"Yea." He nodded. _'Between his king, the Shield Hero, and the guy who destroyed the castle…this guy doesn't know who to please. I'm sure the town's people feel something similar…' _

Hajime stepped aside once the pact was established, having obtained the information he wanted. Killua stood before Myne, his shadow casting over her kneeling figure.

"Yo!" He grinned in response to her tightened eyes and flared nostrils. "So your mom was the queen this whole time, huh?" He looked down at the Slave Crest painted on her chest. "What is she _really_ up to?"

Tied behind her back, Myne's fingers stiffened like claws curling rigidly into her palm. "I wasn't lying when I said she was on a diplomatic mission." Her Slave Crest did nothing.

"Ok…so what was the mission for?" He pressed.

"Malty! You don't have to answer his questions!" The king interrupted. "He has no right to interrogate you like this!"

What felt like a metal bar smashed vertically against the king's mouth and nose, shutting him up. With speed akin to a time-skip, Hajime was knelt before him, holding his robot finger up to his face.

"Shhhhh." His pupil constricted like a predators focused on its prey. "Don't try to hide anything from us anymore. If you want to keep breathing a little longer… I suggest you _shut the __**fuck**__ up_."

The king's face visibly paled.

Killua held his palm up, bolts of electricity dancing atop it in sparks. _'I need to recharge Godspeed as soon as possible, but Lightning Palm should suffice for now.'_ "Just so you know, I'm capable of producing electricity too. So for every question you attempt to dodge, I'll personally shock you. I'm sure it'll be just as painful as that Slave Crest, but to make sure-" He grinned. "-I'll ask for your honest opinion after, if need be. Now answer my question."

Myne's jaw ached around her clenched teeth, the veins in her neck swelling in response. Eventually, she looked down in shame, unable to bear the sight of him.

"The queen attended an international assembly to discuss how to combat the Waves." Her tone was scathing.

Mumbles and murmurs reverberated throughout the crowd. The few words that audibly surfaced revealed an underlying skepticism towards the king's actions, regarding the heroes. This worried him.

'_They sound confused as to why I'd summon the heroes while the queen is still discussing matters concerning them. As long as they don't find out I directly disobeyed her orders, then their faith in me is still salvageable.'_ He looked forward at Killua, cognizant of a firm, unflinching display of certainty he knew would convince at least some people keeping an eye on him.

Meanwhile, Killua furrowed his eyebrows with his chin fit between his fingers in thought, piecing loose bits of information together. He then turned to the king, meeting his stern but confident stare. _'You think I don't know what you're up to? This is a competition of theatrics, and the jury are your subjects whose loyalty is in fluctuation. If we were __**both**__ lying about something, then perhaps you might have stood a chance…a small one…' _Killua suppressed his smile under the façade of an equally stern glare.

"You _didn't_ have the queen's permission to summon the hero's _here_… did you?" He accused with absolute certainty. The king was about to reply, but Killua cut him off. "Before you say anything, I'd like to point out that it is definitely a superior alternative to have four separate countries each summon one hero. Not only does it distribute our power more evenly across the world, but since we can't level up properly when we train in close proximity, international summons would have solved this issue." Killua paused, allowing the king to think.

The king refused to break eye contact. He pushed his chest out and squeezed his fists held by the ropes at his back. Killua recognized this body language. _'Conveying defiance and certainty in yourself before rebutting with a logically sounding counterpoint that plays on the villagers ignorance…man, no matter how far political corruption has come, classics are the classics for a reason. Still though, I've seen shadier shit back in my world.'_

Killua focused his eyesight, paying attention to the slightest indicator that the king was about to speak. He wanted to leave a period of silence between them before he continued. It would make the time the king spent thinking up a counter-argument look like a clueless, caught-in-the-act pause. The king breathed in a quick puff of a breath, and his mouth parted a fraction of a centimeter. Killua spoke.

"Even if you say this was part of a larger strategy, that claim falls apart when we consider how you intended on prioritizing Melromarc over the rest of the world. How could other countries agree to a strategy that jeopardizes their own nation?" He spoke loudly, making sure his every word was heard.

"It's more likely they're _not_ happy with what's happened. It's indisputably unfair! So…if your queen _did_ grant you permission to summon all four hero's…then she's just as corrupt and irresponsible as you, and should be held in contempt on an international court for treason against humanity, for favoring her own nation over the world. _**Or**_…" Killua taunted him with an arrogant smirk. "She _didn't_ give you permission, and _you_ disobeyed her, to act of your own accord. Meaning you're the one who is corrupt, selfish and irresponsible. Now, having explained myself…which is it, _your_ _highness_?"

The crowd was dead silent. The town's people and the adventurers all stared at the king with desperate eyes, anticipating his answer. Only the knights wore distinct emotions upon their faces, ranging from shame, guilt or fear, since they were in on the reality. The king's chest heaved with anxious pants as his eyes darted back and forth across the array of villagers. Doubt, suspicion, mistrust and betrayal was met in every set of eyes he looked into. His body went cold despite the sweat forming at his brow.

'_I need to convince them I'm innocent! There has to be an argument I can destabilize his own with…AH, YES!'_ He made a fist and tugged it victoriously against the rope, raising his chin with a confident gleam in his eyes. _'The brainwashing shiel-'_

"Stop trying to think of a counter-argument to reframe the narrative in your favor. The answer is quite simple, and the longer you take to give it, the more inclined I am to believe your lying." Killua interrupted him.

It was too late. "Me, lying?" The king felt his chest get lighter as a sense of calm spread through him. "Why don't you be upfront about your shields abilities, then? After all, we have heard rumors that your shield has a skill that **brainwashes** people!" A playful grin decorated the king's face, acting as if he had not been pushed to a corner.

"HOLD IT!" Kazuma, who had been silently enjoying the show, raised his hand. "The one who started that rumor is Myne."

"Ergh!" The king's sense of calm plummeted into a terror that struck him still, to the point he could no longer blink. Hajime was quick on the uptake.

"Did you start the rumor that Killua's shield can brainwash for the specific purpose of undercutting everything he says with doubt?"

Myne was just as quick on her own uptake. "NO! I swear, I was warned about that ability by the Three Heroes Chur-" Her head whipped back and her arms flailed, both surrounded by magenta bolts.

"Wait, I confess!" The king whipped his face from Myne to them. "I acted of my own accord…" Pained by the sight of her suffering, he decided not to drag the queen's name down with him, at the least. His face then lit up with fear. "I summoned the heroes to Melromarc because we have to fight off these horrifying Waves of Catastrophe at all costs! You haven't seen them yet, so you don't understand how dangerous they are, but-"

"Oh, you've seen these Waves already? Great! Cuz now seems like a good time to ask…" Killua interjected, reminding him of who was in control of the situation. "What seems more dangerous…them? Or whatever destroyed that?" He pointed his thumb back at the unrecognizable pile of castle dust.

The king was about to answer, but the sight of the empty mountain bluff where his castle once stood made him consider Hajime's power more seriously. It was a power he had never seen the likes of before. He carefully considered his answer.

"I think…that is hard to determine. The Waves bring with them swarms of monsters that attack en masse. Hajime…sama…is akin to something like a great portion of a Wave combined in a single being." There was a relaxed tone to his voice, as if not stressed by the careful wording of a lie.

"So basically, the Waves are more dangerous to entire populations of people. But when it comes to individuals such as Hajime or myself, it's a different story?" Killua turned away from the king for a moment. "No offense, Kazuma!"

Kazuma shrugged, having wholly accepted that Killua was far above him in power, while the king replied with a solemn nod. "To give you an idea, at least. You faced his power up close…so imagine having to protect my family and _my people_ from a power rivaling that! THAT IS WHY…" The king shifted forward on his knees, almost face-planting in his panic, but caught himself which helped regain his composure. "…That is why…I focused the hero's efforts on Melromarc. We are not a large country, so we would be at the mercy of the Waves, hoping for the mere possibility a single hero was summoned close by to keep us safe. Yes, I may have acted selfishly…_but I did so_ OUT OF CONCERN FOR MY PEOPLE!"

Killua stared at him, observing his body language and paying attention to his tone of voice. _'He screamed that last part to persuade the townsfolk, but his eyes look like they convey both a heartfelt fear and worry. I __**fucking**__ hate to admit it…but I feel like he's actually telling the truth about that. He definitely has his families safety in his interests, and perhaps, maybe, his people too…possibly…buried somewhere in his heart...maybe…possibly.'_

Hajime could read the same conclusion from the disappointment on his face. Myne was focused on Killua too, so he reminded her of his presence.

"Oi! What did you intend on accomplishing by making everyone hate Killua?"

Myne tried to build off the support her father regained from the audience. "It's because I truly believe that the Shield Hero is a DANGER to my people! I did what I could out of desperati-" An electric shock and a shriek of pain rudely interrupted her lie.

More upsetting gasps of disbelief from the crowd. Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "She still tries to lie even with a Slave Crest?"

Hajime grabbed her by her hair, yanked her head up to face him, and activated Intimidation. "If that Slave Crest shocks you one more time, I'm gonna rip your _fucking_ head off. Lie again, if you don't believe me."

She believed him.

"What are your plans? What are your goals? Give me a thorough answer, whether or not it relates to the Shield Hero specifically." His eye radiated murderous intent.

Myne's first reaction was to lie again, then let the shock of her continuing to lie take effect, rather than giving the actual truth. But with her life on the line, she had no choice but to come clean. Tears began streaming from her eyes; actual, genuine tears. Though, they were not out of remorse or shame…but the pathetic fact her plans were ruined before finishing the first step.

"I'm working with the Three Hero's Church to take my sisters place as heir to the throne! The Shield Hero was my scapegoat. Plus he's an ugly loser!" Myne cried, Slave Crest did nothing, and Killua's irritation forced on a hard smile. The king whipped his face to her, twisted with horror.

"Malty! How…How could you? The only way you could take your sisters place is…" A pained, contorted expression cut off the last of his sentence.

Killua could care less about the shock the king was enduring. "Well you're an ugly bitch!" He shouted back at her.

"Boo!" Kazuma cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "That's your best comeback? Points off!"

"OI, SHUT IT!" Killua barked at him.

"Hey, you two, knock it off." Hajime strained his cheeks to flatten an incoming smile. "The church, huh? Makes sense. It's obvious they're deeply tied to the discrimination of the Shield Hero. They probably seized the chance to incriminate you as soon as it came."

Killua grumbled to himself, still stuck on Myne and Kazuma. "Best _comeback_, I should _come_ _back_ there and beat the crap outta you, how's that?" He pursed his lips, relaxed his shoulders and shook his head before pinching the bridge of his nose. "But why would they go about it through her, when she's not even the first princess in line?" He opened his eyes, looking at the king in his state of distraught. He didn't care about it. "Are you working with the church too?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation, the shock of Malty's confession occupying his thoughts. "They are the ones who helped me summon you four. Ritual magic is their specialty, after all." He saw no issue in admitting it.

"Huh?" Something clicked in Hajime's mind. "Hey, hold on…" He thought back to the Church of Ehit and the Heiligh Kingdom in Tortus. "OH SHIT, WAIT! We're asking the wrong people how to get outta this world!"

"Hm? You think the church might know more about that?" Killua asked.

"Positive. In the other world my class was brought as heroes to, it was the church that did the summoning, not the kingdom itself." Hajime explained.

"Yea, in _my_ other world, it was a Goddess…supposedly… responsible as well. I wasn't exactly summoned though, but same deal basically." Kazuma added, then looked at Hajime. "You're _whole class_ was summoned? Dude, that sucks! The best part of getting isekai'd is getting away from everyone. Idunno about you, but people sucked in my world!" _'Well…Idunno if I can say anything better about people in the world I was sent to…'_

"Oh, don't even get me started on them. I wanted _them_ to get summoned away so I wouldn't have to deal with them." Hajime looked up in thought. "Actually, with things going the way they are back there, I guess I _don't_ have to deal with them anymore. _Huh_. Well, I can't wait to get back then!"

Killua ignored them. _'Spiritual institutions involved with magic, occultism and conspiracies…somehow this doesn't surprise me.' _"Well, if that's the case, then let's pay 'em a visit. I'm down for now if you guys are." He said.

"Yea, same." Hajime nodded.

Kazuma stood and yawned. "Ditto!"

The king looked down, unable to meet the villagers ogling him with suspicion and scorn. Malty continued crying, mostly out of pity for herself, but slipped in a few exaggerated wails to elicit sympathy from anyone she could. To her dastardly benefit, it was working. The hearts of a few villagers, adventurers, and particularly knights were swayed permanently in her favor. The majority of people were unsure how to feel. However, Myne's underhanded scheme worked especially on the king. Her confession, where she admitted her plan to assassinate her sister, was smoothed over in his mind.

'_There's no way that's true…my daughter would NEVER do that!' _A comforting delusion, built upon years of misplaced hatred so deeply ingrained in his heart, began to infect his each and every thought like a poison._ 'This is the Shield Hero's fault. We should have killed him the moment he was summoned. It's because of him that my kingdom is gone, my subjects abhor me, and my daughter was forced to involve herself in an accursed plot against her sister. NONE OF THIS would have happened without that damn Shield!'_

The king lifted his head to burn the image of Killua in his mind, to steel his resolve to end him someway and somehow, once and for all. It was a big mistake. Killua felt the murderous intent immediately and turned to face him. Shadows cast over his eyes, slit pupils against blue sclera glowed in the dark beneath his hair like a blood-lusting viper. He began walking to him and the king knew he fucked up once again. Each step pushed his heart further into his stomach, forcing his anger down under the weight of undeniable terror.

"You tried to humiliate me." He took a step. "You tried to use me." He took another step. "You sat back and said nothing, waiting for me to be tortured, before revealing the Slave Crests." The king fell backwards, hurting his hands still tied behind him, while trying to distance himself. It was futile. "Worst of all, my sister is back home, on the run and defenseless. Just thinking about what might be happening to her makes me fucking sick." His hand trembled, a mix of fear and anger coursing hot through his veins. "And you still want me dead? Well guess what…" Killua sharpened his fingers into claws and, with assassin eyes burning with fury, cocked his arm back. "Right back at you, you piece of shit!"

It all happened fast. Hajime was the first to notice, naturally, and _naturally_ did nothing but watch. Kazuma looked but was shocked into silence, disbelief paralyzing him for a few, all-too important seconds. The knights couldn't muster a word. The adventurers watched with a helplessness that gnarled their guts with a painful shame. The villagers ignorantly looked on, barely processing what was about to happen out of pure naivety. The king's face squirmed with various emotions, from fear, to hatred, to regret, then anger, then shame, until finally settling on self-pity.

Killua didn't move. He stood above the king, breathing heavily, and the desire to kill twitching his clawed hand. His surroundings melted away. The crowd of witnesses, Hajime, Kazuma, and Myne all faded into a black background that brought with it a dead silence. The king lay before him, head twisting back and forth as he pleaded with tears and trembling lips. It meant nothing to Killua. Taking a life was as ordinary as a daily chore.

Vacant, unmoving faces of past victims surrounded like a holographic panorama, reminding him of what he was: A killer. A trained assassin. The motion was ingrained in his muscles memories, the feeling still fresh around his fingers. Just another few layers of flesh to submerge his claws through, cowered before him. Yet, in spite of how natural this all came to him…

'_It feels like it's been so long. Why does this feel…alien to me now?' _He wavered.

"Stop Killua!" A voice spoke clearly from the private dimension of his mind. It was forged purely out of memory, but its clarity of sound was frightening. "You know he was doing it for his family's sake! He was desperate!"

His conscience reasoned with logic borrowed from his own mind, filtered through the voice that would bear the most profound impact. Memories they may be, they were deep and intimate enough that, if the owner of the voice were here now, his actual words would hardly differ.

'_But he isn't here…'_ He reminded himself.

A cold ache weighed in his chest, drawing the warmth out of his hands and feet. The pain of witnessing the descent of his dear friend, from start to finish, slammed into his heart. The feeling of the fake smile forced across his face before they separated brought with it a sting, like a knife had grazed his cheeks. His face stiffened.

'_Why am I thinking about this now?' _

But he knew the answer. He asked the question to refocus his concentration on the present, but the answer wouldn't let him. This dear friend of his was his light amidst the dark. The first person to look past his bloodstained hands and see the person that never wanted to sully them with another human's life force.

Then he watched that light of his become corrupted by their own darkness, transforming into something unrecognizable, until they were swallowed whole. His dear friend had been there for him, and in the end, he was too. So the answer was simple. If he took a life yet again, would he become corrupted by the darkness of his past? And if he did…what would happen now, without him here?

'_No…that's not it…' _The last memory of this dear friend of his shined brightly in front of him, burning away the holographic faces of his deceased victims. As for the eerie silence reminiscent of their severed hearts…the last words of his dear friend killed it off.

"Kite said that no matter where we go, we'll always be friends!"

The tiniest corner of Killua's mouth turned up into the slightest hint of a smile. _'Dammit Gon! I just can't let you down…'_

The world returned like morning interrupting a dream. Only a few seconds had passed. Dozens upon dozens of witnesses gawked with either ignorance or panic. The king was shaking his head pathetically, whipping tears and snot off his face with each turn. He gasped in disbelief when Killua pulled his arm back. He still looked down at him with darkened eyes, but the murderous edge to his voice was gone. "Consider yourself lucky, I also have a damn good friend back where I'm from."

He put his hands in his pockets and walked away from the king, head hung low. The knights and adventurers all let out an audible sigh of relief. Kazuma visibly relaxed as well.

"Phew! Had me worried there for a sec." He wiped a cold sweat from his brow.

"No worries, I'm good." He spoke softly, passing by him without a glance, only believing his own words halfway. _'Guess things have finally come full circle…' _He felt conflicted though. Years ago, he was a killer who simply longed to be normal. Now, he felt normal, but longed to kill once again. In the end, his friendship with Gon meant more to him. Even so, however…He couldn't help but think and doubt as always. _'Is this…really the right thing to do? I have a bad feeling leaving him to act freely…'_

The king watched Killua leave him, unsure of what to make of the mercy he was shown. In the end…_he_ settled on making him regret it. _'There are people of my kingdom still loyal to me. I'll work with them, starting from scratch. I will make it my life's mission to end you. You will regret this, Devil of the Shield!'_

"Oi, Killua, I'm gonna need your help here." Hajime's voice startled the king out of the angry vow he was making.

"Hm? What is it?"

The king didn't like the look in Hajime's eye. "I need to ask him an important question, and I'd really appreciate your opinion on if he's telling the truth or not."

Killua whipped his head toward Hajime, knowing where this was going. He knew of a very real possibility that may come to pass. He also knew that if it did, he would technically be the trigger for it, and that fact, he feared, would be tantamount to being the one responsible. He knew what his best friend would think of it. That was the only reason Killua hesitated…and Hajime could see it on his face.

"Look, I'm getting my answer somehow regardless, it's just more logical to have you help me out cuz you're good at this kind of thing. Don't worry about that friend of yours, I wouldn't give a shit about anything he'd have to say anyway. _**I**__ have friends _who would be one step ahead of me already. So make no mistake…I'm the one responsible."

Killua looked Hajime in the eye, and for the first time in his life, he met someone who _understood_ him. Not through explanation, but through experience. It touched an old part of him. A dark part. The one he was afraid of returning to…

…Until now.

Gon had reached into Killua's darkness, to bring forth a light from within. Hajime, however, reminded him that a part of that darkness will always be there…and forever changed for the better. As someone who shared the same darkness, knew it inside out, his very presence was a reminder. It spoke to the void of a killer's heart that existed in both of them.

So when Hajime promised to bear the ultimate burden of that darkness, it brought a strange sense of relief Killua never experienced. It was soothing. It also gave himself the permission to look down at the king again. A single glance at him re-ignited the revulsion he felt moments prior to stopping himself. As he knew it would. _'Well, if he's going to ask regardless, and there's nothing I can __honestly__ do to stop him…__I might as well try my best to confirm __this gut feeling of mine, after all__.__'_

"Let's make this easier, then." He pointed at Myne. "Ask _her_ your question first."

The king and Myne both gasped in shock.

"WAIT!" The king screamed. "Leave her alone! She's had enough!"

"What are you talking about?" Hajime said, a challenging edge to his voice. "If she doesn't want to get shocked…all she has to do is tell the truth."

The king's face twisted with anger. Killua observed the two of them, paying close attention to their distinct reactions. _'We can get the truth from her, but we'd still have no way to gauge if the king is lying. Hajime and I can do our best to get a read on him, but he __knows how to tell a good lie__. I'd rather not just leave things up to our impressions and assumptions, especially if __**I'm**__ taking part in this. I don't need something to guarantee absolute certainty, just something objectively more reliable than an observed estimation.'_

Killua's face darkened with shame as a morbid idea flitted through his mind. _'We could first ask the king if he would become our enemy if we killed Myne, then let Hajime ask her if she is one…but if we did that, Myne might actually never oppose us out of genuine fear for being killed on the spot. If we traumatize her into doing nothing against us, then the king can still lie to us and we're back at square one…'_ Killua snapped out of thought when the king bent forward, flopping his forehead pathetically into the dirt, attempting to prostrate himself.

"Please…I promise you. Hajime-sama…Killua…sa…_sama_…" The strain in his voice was audible. "I will tell you the truth. No matter your question!" His tone of voice shook with a convincing sense of shame.

'_But that's the problem, and you __**know**__ it…how can we be sure your word is good?'_ It was then, an idea struck Killua like an epiphany. He hid the smirk begging to display itself proudly.

"Hey…" He leaned in and whispered in Hajime's ear. His face remained still throughout whatever Killua said. Once finished, Killua took a few steps back, allowing Hajime to do his thing.

"Ok, I've been convinced. King, I'm gonna to give you an opportunity to speak for yourself…however…" As Hajime spoke, Killua appeared behind the king, helping him back on his knees and placing his fingers gently against his neck. "Killua is gonna keep a feel on your pulse. Answer me honestly, and there shouldn't be any changes to your heart rate…got it? This is the best we can do."

The king released a huge breath as the tension left his muscles. _'They're…giving me a chance? No, they just don't want the audience here to think any worse of them than they already do.'_

Hajime paced in a circle around the king. "We'll also be keeping an ear out for your tone of voice and a close eye on your body language, so don't fuck this up for yourself. We'll immediately know if you're lying. This is your chance to be redeemed, as well as show us how much we really _CAN_ trust you…" He stood in front of the king again, cocking his head toward Myne. "Since she's proven herself a pathological liar."

The king lowered his chin, keeping his eyes on Hajime's, agreeing with a submissive but cautious nod. Hajime's expression remained firm.

"Do you have any intentions of becoming my enemy?"

The king kept his face docile while his mind ran on the offensive. _'I don't care how strong you are. I'll find a way to rip those cords from your arm and make you suffer 10-fold what I have…but I can't think like that now. I need to keep calm, keep my pulse steady, my body open and vulnerable, and my voice honest. As for the most convincing answer I can give…'_ The king allowed the true spite he bottled in his heart to show on his face.

"I will admit this, I hate you. I hate what you have done to me. I hate what you have done to my castle. I hate that you care so little for us, and side with the Shield Hero of all people. However, there is one thing that triumphs my hate for you…and that is my _fear_ of you. I can fathom no tactic I could subdue you with. I can imagine no military might that would instill hesitance in you. It pains my pride as a great king to say this, but I feel as if I am a mere ant in the presence of a lion, kneeling before you here. So, Hajime-sama, you ask if I intend to become your enemy… If I _am_ your enemy? My answer is no." He dropped his head in defeat.

Kazuma let out a relieved sigh. Ritsuka and his other adventurers looked at each other, exchanging glances of reprieve. The knights exchanged subtle yet knowing glances amongst each other, feigning looks of relief afterwards more openly. The king raised his head again, an expression of swallowed pride mimicking a look of pain.

"Hate you I may, I value the lives of my family and my people more than a chance at a revenge that would risk all that I care for; All that I have promised to keep safe. I will share whatever information you desire. I will allow you to leave our country without hindrance, or stay if you wish to remain. I promise you, here and now, that I will never stand in your way. You have my word!" The king looked up at Hajime's unreadable face, staring back with a fortified conviction engraved on his own.

"Pulse is good, checks out." Killua said from behind. "I don't see any guarding gestures in his posture, and you could hear the hate and fear in his voice, but also his resolve."

'_Of course.' _The king thought._ 'I spoke mostly truths. The most effective lie is one that is mixed with truth, and the more truth included, the more unnoticed, effective and dangerous the lie. No matter how little a poison, it is still a poison…and poison spreads.'_ The king kept his face serious, while a rush of power flowed up to his head. He felt invincible, glimpses of Killua and Hajime suffering underneath him racing in vivid flashes. _'I __**will**__ be vindicated for this!'_

Hajime's unreadable face broke apart into a sinister grin. The king's malicious fantasies fizzled out with an onset of confusion and fright.

"**Myne**…" Hajime said, maintaining eye contact with the king for a few unsettling moments. "In your most honest and accurate assessment…" He finally turned to face her. "…Can we trust your father's words?"

'_WHAT?!' _The king gasped as horror impaled chest like a violent heart attack. _'NO! CHECKING MY PULSE…ALL OF THAT…IT WAS A DISTRACTION TO LET MY GUARD DOWN!?'_

Myne's eyes bulged, lips trembled and body went rigid. She hyperventilated as her pulse raced, causing her heart to beat in her ears. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and did her best to convince herself of her own answer.

"I believe that my father has told the truth." She said no more.

Then she screamed; the sound of it akin to suffering terror and torture simultaneously, as the Slave Crest punished her for the lie she told. The king's face scrunched, holding back tears of hopelessness. With his back pushed against the wall, cornered like a desperate animal forced to bare its fangs for a small chance at survival, he couldn't help but laugh.

"You got me good, Devil of the Shield. Oh _boyyyy_, you_**GOT**_ _me_ good!" His laughter bellowed out, reaching the sky and surrounding the crowd of townsfolk. After a hearty guffaw, he tilted his head back down and closed his eyes with a relaxed face. "Yes, it is true…I hate you." He then opened them, bloodshot and bulging in an intense, unblinking gaze as his body stiffened, snarling like a savage with teeth bared.

"I HATE YOU ALL!" He boomed with the hopeless anger of a convict on death row. "YOU, ALL THREE OF YOU AND THAT MISSING FREAK, WILL REGRET THIS DAY! I SHALL MAKE SURE YOU SUFFER A HUNDRED FOLD THE PAIN AND HUMILIATION I HAVE ENDURED! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS WORLD OF OURS UNSCATHED, MARK MY WORDS!" The king screamed with a feral rage. Foam salivated and spilled from the corners of his mouth, moistening his throat to roar his declaration.

Thunder struck, cracking like the heavens themselves snapping in half. It blew a shockwave that smashed all who were unprepared with a fierce gust of wind to the face. The king found himself flying backwards at a fast rate, soaring high in the sky, baffled by a strange sight left on the ground.

"Are those…" He spoke aloud, symptomatic of his utter confusion. "…_My _legs?" His brain could not process he had been blown in half.

The upper half of his body landed yards away with a sickening, lifeless plop. The smoking barrel of Hajime's gun was pointed straight at the severed body. Deep, terrified breaths and shocked whispers grew louder from the crowd of witnesses. Villagers, adventurers and knights alike were unsure how to handle the abominable scene of their king so brutally murdered. Even Kazuma was frozen in a disbelieving stare, his limbs going numb and mind drawing a horrified blank.

Malty looked on at the legs of her father, leading up to the jagged tendrils of torn flesh where his stomach once was. She shook her head stiffly, moving in stilted jerks, pushing through the reflexive paralysis. The longer she looked on, the more her face changed and her mind stopped denying what lay in front of her. She stilled her head, bared the sight without wincing, and turned to Hajime with a face of vengeful fury.

"You killed my father." Her hatred was palpable, empowered by the spirit, for she was speaking in a manner she had seldom ever done in life. She was speaking honestly from the heart. With hands still tied behind her, she forced herself to her feet, standing with conviction overcoming her fear. "YOU KILLED MY FATHER, YOU **MONSTER**!"

The knights who knew Malty personally were just as shocked at her behavior as they were the king's death. This was a milestone for her, a moment of rare honesty that marked an important development in her as a human being. It was saddening to them that it required something so drastic to elicit. It was more saddening that it happened at the most worthless time possible.

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

Those were her last words. An empty threat; a declaration missing its soul. Hajime walked right up and bitch slapped her with his robotic arm as hard as he could. _It ripped her head off._ The sounds of wood snapping echoed from the Castle Town, half a mile away, as her cranium pierced through several buildings. No one could say for sure how far her head flew, but a few seconds later, in a forest too far to see, birds flew up into the sky as if something had spooked them out. In front of Hajime, Malty's headless corpse twitched awkwardly for a few more seconds before collapsing without internal resistance.

"Mark my words? Get away with this?" Hajime repeated to himself, then turned to the crowd of people. The knights cowered. The adventurers cried. The villagers hugged each other and prostrated themselves. Hajime clicked his tongue, then turned away from them, heading towards the church. However, he made sure to speak loud enough to be heard by each and every one of them. "Anyone who gets in my way is my enemy…_and I kill my enemies_. You don't have to work with me, but don't work against me. That should be simple enough for all of you."

The only ones Killua felt bad for were the villagers. However, he perceived this moment to be an opportunity for a more noble set of rulers to step in, now that they've been made aware of what corrupt criminals their royalty had been. Once they get over the shock of what happened, they should arise more observant and involved with their ruling politics. Because of this, he followed Hajime straightaway with nigh a glance behind.

The only one to truly hesitate…was Kazuma. He was starkly out of place, and terribly out of his element. He may have been angry and at odds with the matriarchy, which in turn was disgusted by him. However, two legitimate psychopaths coordinating a cold-blooded murder really put him in his place. He was just a naïve teenager who never had it as bad as watching people truly die before him. Seeing it in real-life, without Aqua to revive them, nor a ridiculous context surrounding it… was a dark experience. It put Hajime in a new light for him, and it was one he wasn't comfortable with. Though it may have been Killua's idea…he wasn't the one who initiated it. _He_ stopped himself, willing to leave it. It was Hajime that pushed for it.

After some long and awkward moments, to a point when Hajime and Killua were far ahead of him, he began to follow. However, his driving motivation for following them, ironically, was to get away from them as fast as possible. _'I…really just wanna return to my old world right now.' _Their goals inconveniently happened to align.

Meanwhile, in the back of the crowd, stood a women in a pink nobles dress. She stayed out of sight from the three heroes, yet watched more intently than anyone else. She had a duty to relay every detail of what occurred to someone of extreme importance…and there was much to tell. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing straight.

She brought her hand up to her mouth, unconsciously intending to cup it and calm her breathing, but flinched at her own touch. Her fingers felt as if they were submerged in ice, the feel of her own hand foreign to her. She looked back up, staring at the aftermath, yet taking in none of it with a blank mind behind her gaze. The memories on replay were enough. _'I fear that things have gone down a terrible path, I daresay.' _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As a certain impromptu trial was held in Melromarc's capital, a private meeting was taking place in a large mansion on the outskirts of the country. In the center of the massive estate was a room brimming with exquisite displays of what rich money could flaunt. There was a large man, dressed in a frilly, ostentatious suit, pacing back and forth, excited yet nervous in the presence of an important guest.

"I am counting on you." He spoke slowly, emphasizing the faith he was placing in whom he hired. "Rumor has it that a villain too powerful to reign in has been summoned as a hero. Not only is his evil genius a threat posed unto us, but the power that his legendary weapon grants him makes him…extremely dangerous."

"Is that so?" His guest replied.

He nodded. "The villain I speak of? We know him as the Devil of the Shield. However, you probably know him by his false title: The Shield Hero."

"I see."

"I'm glad you understand." The large man, Idol Rabier, sneered with pleasure. "Then please, I beg of you, hunt down the Devil of the Shield. We shall reward you greatly. You are the kingdoms last hope, as by now, the heroes have failed to heed our calls for help. You are the only one who can do this, our one true hero…" Idol spun on his heel to face his guest, giving him a deep bow of respect. "Sword Hero-sama!"

"And if I hunt him, you will hire adventurers with resources that will help me search for goblins?"

Idol smiled. "Of course! This is why my friends had recommended me to you, is it not?"

Goblin Slayer turned his head down in thought. "What observable proof can you show that he is evil?"

"Huh?" Idol turned his head up, surprised he didn't immediately seize his opportunity. "We don't call him the Devil of the Shield for no reason. The individual summoned to be the Shield Hero has always been evil throughout our history."

"So why did you summon him?"

"Huh!?" Idol's eyes widened. It was a reasonable question he didn't have an answer for. As much as he'd love to argue with the king about it, he had no time to spare in this moment. In other words, he had to lie. "We had no control! Four heroes for each weapon must be summoned together."

"I see." Goblin Slayer hardly moved as he spoke. He just sat there, still and patient, answering every question as quick and bluntly as he could.

Idol sighed. "So will you do it?"

"No. If you have no evidence beyond testimony, then I will resume my search for the goblins. I know for a fact how evil they are."

Idol's face burned red around bulging eyes. "God-fucking-dammit!" He slammed his fist against the wall. "I keep telling you, THERE ARE NO GOBLINS HERE!"

"Then where are they?"

His head shot back, mystified by his density. "NO! I don't mean this mansion, I mean _here_, as in _this world_!"

"Is that so?"

"YES!" He jumped, hunching his shoulders with stiffened his arms to bellow his answer.

"I see." Goblin Slayer stood up and walked toward the door.

"Uh? Hey!" Idol's eyebrows twitched above a rigid pout. "Where are you going?"

"I will make sure myself there are no goblins in this world." He replied without a break in stride.

Idol was tempted to grab the nearest vase he could lift, run with it and smash it over his head. Common sense and cowardice kept his temptations at bay, but his seething irritation wouldn't allow him to just leave things be.

'_This blasted idiot! It's just "goblins this" and "goblins that"! He's the only one who can take out the Devil of the Shield! And if I am the one to send the hero that slays the Devil, then God shall bless me eternally! I can't let this chance slip, but all this guy cares about is…'_ He paused in thought. His face then lit with an epiphany. Through a spark of insidious genius, Idol Rabier hatched an evil plan that only his remorseless, conniving mind could conjure.

"Say, Sword Hero-sama, perhaps there is a misunderstanding between us…about what goblins actually are in this world."

Goblin Slayer stopped just under the doorway. He turned around promptly. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" He lifted his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug and shook his head. He felt it twist back and forth, distracting his giddy grin from bubbling to the surface. "I mean that, perhaps there is an error in translation at work here. How are we supposed to know that goblins in your world, and goblins in my world, are actually _called the same thing_ and _look the same way_? We may have fairy tales with creatures we've _named_ goblins to scare children…but what if those are just boogie monsters with a coincidental name? What if the reality is: Our world's equivalent of what _you_ call goblins are _termed_ something else, and maybe even _look_ entirely different? Why then, that would mean we've sent you on a **wild goose chase!**"

Goblin Slayer turned around and titled his head down into his hand, thinking hard. "That is plausible. I don't like it."

"RIGHT!" Idol bit his tongue to hide his smile. "So do me a favor then, Sword Hero-sama, can you tell me what goblins in your world are like? Perhaps if you describe them to me, it will enlighten me on what type of creatures in our world may resemble them!"

Goblin Slayer lifted his head, presumably facing Idol from the dark, invisible depths of his helmet. "They are a species of primitive, savage thieves. They pillage towns for sustenance, stealing all that they can, and torturing everyone they catch. I've seen them dismember bodies for fun, hanging severed limbs and heads on spikes. They live in caves amidst their own filth and waste, kidnapping women and raping them to breed, only to eat them, dead or alive, once they're finished. The ones they don't eat, they nail to wooden boards and use as meat shields, should they attack in large groups. They multiply quickly, numbers being their only strength, and act as if they are taking vengeance on the world because they feel entitled to what they cannot create themselves. They are sick, vile creatures that despise the very existence of humanity. They can _never_ be trusted."

Idol stared at him, eyes horrified and jaw gaping. _'HOLY SHIT!'_ His expression didn't budge. _'Thank __**fucking goodness**__ those things don't exist here!'_

He resumed composure and cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, I thought it might be something like that." He lied. "I assumed that goblins must be _those_ creatures, considering how urgently you treat this matter. Hm, yes. I understand now, it all makes sense!"

"Does something come to mind?" Goblin Slayer asked.

Idol strained his cheeks to suppress his smirk. "Immediately, yes. There are creatures in our world that are as vile natured as what you had described, but as I thought, we call them by another name. They must look completely different than the goblins in your world too!"

"What are they called? And give me a description." Goblin Slayer wasted no time.

Neither did Idol. "Demi-Humans."

"Demi-Humans?"

"A misnomer of a name, I believe. From here on out, I will call them Demigoblins for your understanding."

"I see."

"As for a description…I must preface this by warning you, this is where they may differ from goblins of your world, but I assure you, they are just as treacherous!" Idol spoke as if there had been a long struggle for safety from these creatures he spoke of. "They take on the appearance of a half human, half animal. The reason being is because they, too, kidnap and rape women. They poison the human race with their filthy animal blood, breeding monsters that bear the looks of humans _but damned_ with the inheritance of beastly traits. I assure you though, Sword Hero-sama, that their nature is just as you described goblins in your world!" Idol slammed his fists against a nearby table, exaggerating the tension he feigned.

He then pressed his fingers into his forehead, rubbing his eyebrows nervously. "I wish we could have clarified this miscommunication long ago…"_'If I can't get him to hunt that damned Shield, I'll have him do some other dirty work for me…' _His expression cloaked his intent. _'And I know the perfect place for him to start.'_

"That is why we must be prompt." Goblin Slayer said. "Do they live in caves? Do they have spell-casters, hobs, champions or lords? What indicators do you have for-"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, I have the perfect job for you that will introduce you to them." Idol bought himself a few seconds to think. He had to word himself carefully if he was to utilize Goblin Slayer as an effective pawn. "You see, there have been sightings of one…demigoblin…near my property for quite some time now. It worries me deeply. My own troops are busy guarding me, so I'm reluctant to send them out to inspect the forest. I have tried to make appeals to the king's knights for help, but…" He pretended to be hesitant to speak ill of his kingdom, while concocting a believable reason.

As Idol's luck would have it, Goblin Slayer had heard similar circumstances before. "You were told there was no need to mobilize the military against mere demigoblins, right?"

"YES! Oh, dear hero, you understand!" Idol's eyes turned up, experiencing blissful gratification at how smoothly his plan was unfolding. _'Ohhh, sweet, sweet Sword Hero, how wonderful of a fool you are!'_

"When was the last sighting of this demigoblin? And where?"

"Hmm, the last sighting was a few days ago. If you look down that way, beyond the town my manor oversees, there is a forest that borders on a lake. It was there that _it_ was seen."

"South. Understood. I will inspect the area immediately and let you know if I find anything. If I happen to come across a creature that resembles what you've described, I will kill it."

Idol could no longer hide his smile. "THANK YOU, SWORD HERO-SAMA! With your help, I know I can rest well tonight!"

Goblin Slayer walked out the room. Idol listened to his footsteps slowly echo out of hearing range. He then walked over to his window and looked outside at the forest. A deranged grin gnarled his face like a possession.

'_A little toy of mine managed to escape into there a few days ago…and now it's going to die for not letting me torture it to my heart's content!'_

[Outside]

"Hello, Sword Hero-sama. My name is Montcrey. I will be responsible for escorting you today." A stout man bowed before the hero. His top hat fell off, revealing dwindling patches of hair. He scrambled to pull it back over his head, embarrassed, but Goblin Slayer paid it no mind.

He nodded as he stepped into a graceful carriage bearing the Rabier family crest. Idol's guards pulled the gates open, allowing the carriage down the trail which lead to town. He checked his equipment yet again since he had the luxury of being escorted. It was organized the same exact way it always was.

Goblin Slayer had been transported to Melromarc upon inspecting stolen goods in a goblin's nest. Due to this, he had been summoned with all his usual preparations still in place. It had been 3 days since he was summoned to this world, and he had yet to find a trace of goblins existing. In spite of this, his worries could not waver in the face of what the evidence seemed to point to.

'_We don't __**know**__ the origins of goblins where I'm from in all actuality. This alone is a loose variable that opens too many possibilities. In fact…' _He placed his hand below his visor in thought._ '…It's possible that some goblins may have been transported here somehow, through that same magic item that brought me. And if they were transported here, it may have an effect on this world. I don't like it. Either way, whether they are in hiding, on the verge of extinction, or on the brink of coming to being…I will find them. I will kill them. Whether it is a "something king" or "waves of something", neither will stop the goblins from wreaking their evil on people. I shall not allow this.'_

He tilted his head up from his hand, a realization at his own thoughts taking him by surprise. _'My sister…never failed at anything…'_ He looked out the window, staring at the clear blue sky. It made him remember the first thing he'd noticed during the nights in this new world. That the night sky held only one moon. _'I have never had reason to doubt my sister before…'_ He felt his chest begin to tighten. _'No. This is necessary logic I must consider.'_ Despite thinking this, the thoughts of his sister and the single moon forced a memory to color itself in between the two mental images.

It was the night he sat under the stars, camping with his party. It was first time he had shared his sister's theory on the origins of goblins to anyone. Images of that night flashed consecutively through his mind. From Dwarf Shaman sharing his fire wine to High Elf Archer choking on it. From Lizard Priest falling in love with cheese, only then since, becoming one of the farms best customers.

As for Priestess, she stood out to him more than any of them. She was his first partner, and the weakest one of their group. He had to look out for her. Yet, this positive memory, which forced itself into mind against his will, brought on an overwhelming anxiety. He clenched his fist and banged his knee to snap himself out of the strange reaction.

"That's enough…" He told himself.

The carriage drove over a bump, causing Goblin Slayer to bounce up. The seat beneath him echoed as if it was hollow.

"Hm?" He stood up and fit his fingers under the edge. It lifted with a bit of force, revealing an empty space beneath it. It was a secret compartment designed to hide anything up to the size of a small child. He stared at it analytically. "A goblin can fit in here…"

The carriage came to a stop. "Ah, Sword Hero-sama, we're here."

Goblin Slayer hopped out the side. Before him was an endless horde of trees towering high enough to make ants of the birds above. Their shadows cast over him, stretching far into the town where the jagged edges of dark and light clashed in their daily battle. He turned his head right and left, looking for an optimal point to start his search from. Both directions stretched on without anything noteworthy. He turned to Montcrey.

"Are there any caves in this forest?"

Montcrey shook his head. "No caves around these parts, Sword Hero-sama."

"I see." Goblin Slayer unsheathed the sword of strange length from his side. He held it before himself. Montcrey snuck a glance at it, baffling himself with the sight of its disposable simplicity. It looked like a blacksmiths easiest throwaway product they'd make large quantities of to sell for cheap.

"Um, Sword Hero-sama…that sword…it isn't the legendary weapon, is it?" He asked, nervous to have his childhood dreams shattered.

"It is." His dispassionate voice replied.

The sword then illuminated, as if it heated several thousand degrees from within. The shining shape of the sword transformed into one much longer with an aesthetic silhouette. When the glowing stopped, Goblin Slayer's hand embraced a whole new sword. His fist wrapped around a stylish hilt with a beautiful jewel in it, leading out to a long, elegant blade decorated with a golden-ridged black center. Montcrey let out an excited noise he quickly slammed his hands over his mouth to hide. He still looked on, embarrassed again, but in awe at the legendary sword.

"This weapon takes the forms of other swords I touch. I like it." He turned towards the forest, dark from its canopy blocking the high noon sun. "I've never hunted goblins in a forest before."

"Is that a problem?" Montcrey asked.

"Maybe." His reply was swift. "I've fought 20 of them once in an open field by myself. It was dangerous. I've learned never to do it again."

Montcrey was fully aware of what Goblin Slayer was sent out to do. He was informed so there would be no slips of the tongue, the kind to accidently reveal Idol's true intentions. Not that there was any moral conflict in him. All who were hired on Rabier's property knew of his "private chambers" and what atrocities he regularly commits. It was because of this, Montcrey was designated to ask Goblin Slayer one last question before he should leave him to his task. If the answer was anything less than what Idol wanted to hear, it was to be immediately reported.

"What will you do when you find the…demigoblin?" Montcrey fulfilled his duty.

Goblin Slayer didn't turn around. "Kill it."

A quick smile flashed on the man's face before resuming a professional façade. "Well, Sword Hero-sama, I will be situated at the local pub here, should you return and need to find me."

"Noted. Thank you."

The man gave a quick nod of his head, cracked his whip, and was pulled away by the horses towards the town. Before he was out of sight, Goblin Slayer turned his head to him. He watched him from the darkness of his visor. _'He knows that term now too?'_ He tilted his head up to look at the mansion of the man that sent him here. _'Goblins of different looks and names…'_ He turned forward again. With his immaculate sword, he cut past the untrimmed brush and finally step foot into the forest. "I will find out for sure."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: For those who know Shield Hero beyond the anime…yes. I "know" about Keel. (You'll know what I'm talking about.) For now, I'm trying to keep things spoiler free (even small things like this.) If I break from that, I will put another Author's Note to warn people...until then…enjoy!

Chapter 13

He never thought torture would be the catalyst for good luck, of all things. There was no way he could have known. He had been beaten mercilessly, savagely and sadistically at the hands of Idol Rabier without anything of the sort. Demi-humans in Melromarc rarely had it good, but he was of the lucky few to live under a noble that cared for them. Then the Waves came. That noble died. Since then, Keel's life had spiraled downward, teasing him whenever he thought if things could get any worse.

He and his closest friends had been bought as slaves by an atrocious sadist. It was not long after, his good friend, Raphtalia, was sold off to another slave dealer. She was ripped away from Keel and their sickly friend, while she was forced to suffer alone and scared in an unknown, faraway location. Then, when things couldn't seem more grim, his most gentle friend, Rifana, had perished mere cell blocks away. Months had past and her rotting body still laid there. Its presence was a nightmare worse than any which sleep could conjure.

Idol's cruelty, every time, had left Keel bruised, bleeding or broken. He was helpless to the evil whims his captor was in the mood to inflict. The heavy sounds of his footsteps and obese, labored breathing would set his heart racing with hatred and horror. If it was not his own screams piercing his ears, the other captive demi-humans down the halls cried just as loud and indistinguishably.

The most recent whipping he endured had left him slashed all over. Infected wounds stung him, causing his limbs to go periodically numb, twitching uncontrollably without feeling. The wrist that was cuffed to the wall was broken, along with all five fingers. The result of bearing Idol's weight upon it with a sudden stomp. The depraved slaver liked the idea of using an injured arm to hold Keel to the wall. The thought of the pain it would constantly keep him in was exciting.

As per his spoiled personality, Idol sought to tantalize himself even further and left his cell door unlocked. Taunting him with an unattainable escape was the cherry atop his own cake. He didn't have a down moment that day. Whenever he was about to become bored or irritated, he thought of Keel tugging on his broken wrist in a desperate attempt to reach his open door. The image overwhelmed the evil man with joy.

That was his mistake. That was Keel's stroke of luck amidst his wretched torture. On his first attempt, his broken hand slipped out the cuff with little effort. The shattered bones rendered the iron bracelet useless. He stared at his limp arm, resting on his lap, slowly processing the fact that he was no longer stuck to the wall. His head turned toward the unlocked door in disbelief. If it wasn't for the immense pain he was suffering, he would have thought this was a dream. But the pain was all too real. As unbelievably real as the fact he was…

"Free." He dared pronounce the word.

He forced his legs to work through the numbness and the twitching, catching his bearings a step at a time. His cell door creaked loudly as he pushed it open, but there was no reaction to its sound. They were alone; unguarded. An inadvertent fortune from the prejudice against his kind; no one could be bothered to keep an eye on them.

A deep desire to save the other two demi-humans overcame him, followed by a devastating guilt at his inability. Even if he was in any shape to lead an escape, he lacked the means to open their cells and break their chains. Instead, he raced to the metal door and opened it with his good arm. He climbed each step, pushing himself up with an exhausting huff, strengthened by his vow to return with help.

It was pitch black above ground. There was hardly a difference than in the chambers below. It was the time of a new moon and yet clouds blanketed the already black sky. It's only on nights as dark as these that torchlights are visible long before footsteps are audible. Avoiding Rabier's guards was thus a matter of utilizing his canine senses with some caution exercised. The only place Keel could find to stow himself was one of the transportation wagons. There was one specifically with lingering traces of the smell of fruits and vegetables. His nose, sharp like a dogs, easily singled it out.

'_I've picked up the faint__est__ scent of farm foods during plenty of mornings…maybe he has them collected as fresh ingredients for his daily meals? He's so fat, I wouldn't doubt it! But if that's the case…I hope that means this carriage is going to the town tomorrow…' _He surmised.

He crawled into the wagon, searching desperately for a spot to hide. There were several open crates inside, all of which were empty. One of them was sealed shut, pushed off to the corner. It smelt of rusted metal and something else Keel wished he wasn't familiar with… Dried blood.

'_I don't want to know what they're doing with those…'_ He felt sick to his stomach.

After further inspecting the wagon, he uncovered a hollow space beneath the bench. Presumably, it was designed to hide jewelry, or even children, should bandits attempt to raid its riders. His previous owner had them in his royal carriage for that reason, so it seemed fitting that wagons would follow the same principle. He crammed himself inside and refused to budge. It was not before long he passed out. He only woke when the carriage began moving, hours later. The sudden jolt rustled the crushed bones in his hand. He bit down on his lips to hide what would have been a cry of pain.

The morning sun peeked through the cracks of the wood. He slowed his breathing down and concentrated on staying still and silent. The image of Rifana's corpse, laying still and silent, popped in mind against his will. The cool streak of a tear slid down his face as he prayed not to get caught, lest he meet a similar fate. The carriage made several stops. A crate would be dragged off the wagon and then re-loaded even heavier than before. Each time, he would hear the same voices of two men speak to a different person at every break.

'_There's two riders, I think…'_

Their voices were not only muffled by the wooden compartment, hiding him from the outside world, but drowned out by the chatter of a busy street. It was his demi-human dog ears that could pick out the vocal distinctions. Finally, at one point, the carriage came to a halt somewhere that was much quieter than the previous stops. Two sets of feet dropped against the ground, followed by four slow and heavy footsteps trotting farther out of hearing range.

'_They're…carrying something away? Is it that last crate?' _

Keel didn't have the luxury of certainty. His circumstances were either as optimal as they could get…or not. He popped the seat cover open and peeked out. Indeed, two men were hauling the crate into a nearby building. It was a blacksmiths shop, located in the more isolated part of the town so not to disturb townsfolk with its clanging metalsmithing. The men were going to have the filthy, blood-crusted metal, too old to be used anymore, melted to eradicate the potential evidence.

Keel never figured that part out, but the fact the wagon was unattended in a distant location was all he needed to know. He slid the seat back into place and found himself at the mouth of a large forest. He grabbed some fresh food from the closest crate before climbing out the wagon. He ran as fast as his wounded legs could move, succeeding in his escape from Rabier manor.

Unfortunately, once that food was finished, there was hardly any in the forest itself. Plus with worsening injuries, he couldn't manage to be as swift and cautious as he wanted. He was caught stealing food from the town just a day later. It was only a matter of time before Idol would catch whiff of his sighting…and do something about it. He knew it, dreaded it, but had no choice except to wait for the results while hoping for a miracle.

[Present day]

He made his minuscule rations last. An ironic capability from being held captive to a sadistic slave owner. It was a small trade off though, especially with his freshest whip wounds failing to heal properly. The skin around the gashes looked sickly, and the cuts themselves were taking on a dirty red that started spreading. He knew he had some infection going on, alternating between chills and hot flashes while wandering aimlessly in the forest.

His disfigured hand was bruised, swollen and painful to the slightest touch. He held it close to his chest in a poor make-shift cast made of twigs, leaves and grass blades. He tried his best to hold it in a position that kept feeling in his fingers, hoping proper circulation would help it heal. But it broke apart under his limp arm, the pain making it purely dead weight. Tears welled up in his eyes.

'_How long would it take before it even begins to heal? It HUUUURTS!'_ Keel sat on the ground, kicking his feet and sobbing. The more he thought, the more the tears came. _'I don't know how long I have before the infection gets worse. I have no idea where to even get help! People HATE me here!' _His sobs grew into desperate cries, tears falling down and off his face._ 'What if I become too weak and I'm stuck here helpless? Useless? What if I…'_ He shook his head. _'__**What if I**__…'_ He cried harder. _'What if I __**die**__ here?'_

His ear twitched. He focused his hearing, picking up the sound of footsteps deep in the forest…from the direction the town was located. He turned his head the same way immediately, his tears halted by a helpless terror.

"NO." His voice cracked. His head was shaking, his mind desperately denying his worst fear finally happening.

The canopy blocked out much of the suns light, but the tiny rays that managed to break through were dim and barely visible. It was twilight. Another hour at most would pass before nightfall struck the land, blackening the forest completely. There were enough predators in the woods as it was. A search party hunting down a wounded demi-human child would spell the end for Keel. He forced himself up. The mere action of standing sapped a great deal of energy from him. The will power it required to push past the crippling pain was borne solely from sheer desperation. His exhaustion, on top of it all, just made things that much worse.

Every step made him sleepier, but simultaneously woke him through the searing pain in his wounds. Back and forth, these two forces fought, keeping him awake enough to push forward just one foot at a time. The specter of futility loomed over his every thought, urging him to give up.

'_If I surrender, I would suffer __**just**__ a little bit more…but then it would all be over soon enough. __**Then I could rest forever.**__'_

The thought brought a sweet comfort with it. But that comfort left him as the bodily throb of an agonizing sting rushed through him, yet again. The same one that kept him from submitting to his unbearable exhaustion. He was still pushing himself forward, and the more he did, a distant image in his mind grew brighter and clearer.

"Raphtalia…" Keel spoke the name of his friend, affirming to himself who he would vow to find and save. For he knew that if their positions were reversed…she would do the same for him. Whether he could find and save his close friend, however, seemed utterly impossible when a flying sword whistled over his head. He felt it cut through the wind above his hair. It pierced into a thick tree in front of him, poking through the other side, lodging the entire blade through its healthy wood.

'_Wh-who throws a sword?!' _He panicked, before the sword vanished in a flash of light. "WHAT?!"

Twigs and leaves crunched under a heavy set of armored footsteps. They were much closer to Keel than they had been when he first tried running. He clutched his chest with his good hand as terror forced itself in place of a heartbeat. He was unable to breathe in that moment. He turned around to finally lay eyes on the hunter that Idol had sicced on him.

It was a man in grimy armor, with a small circular shield attached to his arm, and an immaculate holy sword manifesting in the other. He wore a cheap looking helmet, hiding his face in pitch black, as if nothing but a hollow darkness lay behind the bars of his visor. The very sight of him was scary, but there was one other realization that skyrocketed the fear that Keel was suffering.

"That's the…the…" His mouth shook as all resistance within him crumbled. "S-s-s…Sword Hero!"

He was walking towards him. Keel's face warped with horror while his eyes streamed with tears. He fell backwards with a yelp of pain and gave up. He curled his head into his knees, bent up to his chest, and wrapped his good arm around his legs. Hyperventilating as he tried to put up as least resistance as he could, his mind raced as it processed his situation.

'_The Sword Hero is one of Melromarc's worshipped figures, and Idol is a fanatic of the Three Heroes Church! If it was the Shield Hero, I might have been saved, but the Sword Hero? He's going to…'_ He heaved out a cry. _'__**He's going to**__…' _He heaved out a louder cry. _'He's going to cut my head off AND BRING IT BACK TO IDOL!'_

The footsteps stopped right in front of him. He didn't dare look up. All he could hope for was a swift and painless death. He heard the ground in front of him rustle, then the gentle clinks of glass tapping against each other.

"Drink these." A monotone, dispassionate voice spoke.

Keel looked up to the sight of his leather glove extending two glass vials. Each contained a different but brightly colored liquid. He looked up to him but couldn't see the face hidden in the illusionary emptiness.

"What are these?" He tried to sound assertive, but his voice was too weak.

"Healing and stamina potions."

The answer made his heart swell. It also heightened the intensity of his pain and exhaustion, as if his body was urging him to take them. Still though, he caught himself from falling too fast for his sweet words. He was the Sword Hero, after all.

"How do I know they're not poison?" He gave him the best scowl his tired face could muster.

The man tilted his head to the side.

"I packed them myself. I know they are healing and stamina potions." His reply was just as mechanical and emotionless.

Keel stuttered in confusion. _'Is he…serious?'_ He shook his head. "You expect me to believe you just like that?"

He knelt there, silently, jostling his head slightly as if contemplating an answer. "You do not believe me?"

"How about this!" He pointed his good hand at him. "Drink from them, then I'll know that they're not poison!"

"But I don't need them." He replied instantly, as if it was common sense.

Keels head kicked back as his eyes widened with disbelief. "Are you…" He paused, wondering if he should really ask the _Sword Hero_ such a question... before relinquishing to his stubbornness. "Are you stupid?!"

The helmet tilted again. "I don't think so…"

The two vials were still held out before him. He looked at them, observing them closely, and allowing the imagined feeling of swallowing them to overtake him. The thought of ingesting them seemed like a dream that would never come to be. That is, unless he decided to trust him.

'_Y'know…if he wanted to kill me, I don't think he'd waste poison on me when he could've attacked with his sword at any time.'_ He convinced himself, taking a blue potion by the bottle and pulling on the vial as he popped the cork off. He swallowed it like he hadn't drank in ages. _'WAIT, WHAT IF IT'S A DRUG TO KNOCK ME OUT?!_'

It wasn't. The effects were immediate, and they were amazing. The debilitating ache throughout his body vanished like magic. The unbearable stings of every cut upon him dwindled to irritating tingles. Even his broken hand felt as if it was submerged in a warm, comforting water that rested ever nerve pinched by bone fragments. Tears coated over his eyes once again, but for completely different reasons this time.

He reached for the stamina potion, a green liquid, only to find it already uncorked by the Sword Hero. He hurriedly gulped it. Starting from his core, spreading outward to the edges of his body, he felt as if he had been brought back to life. The overpowering, irresistible fatigue that was close to ensnaring him was killed off by a rush of invigoration. It was hard to believe that, just moments ago, he felt a mere blink would knock him unconscious. He looked up at this armored man, filled with gratitude and awe.

"Why did you…_help_ me?" He asked, an uncertain weariness to his voice. _'There's no way anyone in Melromarc is this nice to a Demi-human. There's NO WAY the __**Sword Hero**__ would be nice to a Demi-human! There…must be an ulterior motive…'_

The reply was as serious as always. "Because you're not a goblin."

Keel was silent for the next few seconds, blinking over a blank stare. "Um…**what**?" The armored man tilted his head again, which Keel assumed meant he was confused about why _he_ was confused. "I guess…you're welcome?"

"Don't mention it." Goblin Slayer stood up and sheathed his sword. Yet again, a particular memory forced itself upon him. That of Priestess chastising him for speaking too little, never explaining himself enough, and his ensuing promise to fix this habit. Yet again, he pushed down the feelings the memory brought with it, by refocusing his attention. "You never tried to elicit pity from me."

"I _what_?" Keel was still just as confused.

"Goblins are shameless cowards. They will do anything they can to play on a person's sympathy, so that they may take advantage of one's guard let down. Your reaction was that of someone to whom the intent to manipulate emotions does not occur. _Unlike_ the man who requested me to hunt you…"

'_Idol! I knew he was behind this!'_ Keel grit his teeth.

"He had already asked me to hunt a person without conclusive evidence for their alleged evils. For some reason, he expected me to overlook that when telling me to hunt something else immediately after. Of course, I had to confirm for myself if he was lying or telling the truth, and now I have." Goblin Slayer extended his hand to Keel. "Can you walk?"

"Huh?" The question caught him off guard, followed by a possible doubt. He found himself able to stand just fine, but he still had to clutch his hand for comfort.

Goblin Slayer knelt again, opening the satchel at his side. He pulled out a roll of gauze and cling. "We need to secure your arm."

In about a minute, Keel's arm was safely fastened in a sling and swathe. His hand was rested comfortably, held in a position where sensations and blood flow both reached his fingertips.

"Where did you learn to do this?" He asked him, eager to learn such knowledge for himself.

"Healers. I learned a great deal of emergency care from them." He replied as he double checked the knots of the sling. He stood up again. "Are you able to walk now? Or do you need another potion?"

Keel was energized, but he knew the pain that was washed away would rear its ugly head soon enough. "I can make it, it doesn't hurt too much right now."

Without hesitation, Goblin Slayer reached into his satchel again and pulled out another health potion. "Your injuries look infected. You shouldn't ignore that while it's still easy to treat."

Keel looked at him, then at the potion, feeling greedy in the face of such gracious luck. Despite that, he accepted his offer. All traces of lingering pains dissolved after swallowing it.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

At the local pub, Montcrey, the carriage driver, was enjoying himself a fine buzz with the company of two beautiful women.

"-And as a matter of fact, I know Idol-dono very well. I've worked under him for quite a time now and have some…vital connections. You catch my drift?" He spoke into the ear of a brunette girl at his right.

"Oh you!" She gave him a flirtatious brush across the cheek. He leaned back with a big smile.

"Why, as a matter of fact, he trusted me to transport a very important guest today!"

"Oh? And who might that have been?" A blonde girl to his left asked.

He waved his hands toward himself, encouraging the girls to lean in close. "The Sword Hero."

They gasped. The brunette girl to his right took him by the chin, turning his head to her.

"So, does that mean…you can get us to _meet_ the Sword Hero too?" She asked in a seductive voice.

"Ho ho, well, I mean…" He reached behind his head, rubbing the back of his balding scalp. "I should run it by Idol-dono first. The Sword Hero is _his_ guest, after all! You may be esteemed ladies of the great Melromarc, but I have a job I've been entrusted to fulfill! However…" a sleazy smile stretched into his flushed cheeks. "I might be able to grant you girls the special privilege. Ah, but only if I am convinced by the both of you…that your status as females overrides Idol-dono's." _'Once they meet him, they'll be severely disappointed, but by then, I would have scored… So it won't matter! Ha HA!'_

The bell above the pub door rang. The confident stride of armored footsteps thudded against the wooden floor. Silence muffled the lively atmosphere. Montcrey was so warped in his own excitement that he failed to notice it. The women in his arms were a different story, though.

"Eww, who's that?" The blonde girl asked.

"I don't know, but he looks filthy. And why is he wearing his armor indoors?" The brunette added.

Montcrey's eyes popped open, bulging in alarm. _'SHIT! IT'S HIM! HE'S GONNA RUIN MY CHANCES!'_

He jumped up from between the two girls, spinning mid-air to face him.

"A-ah, good sir that I met earlier today by accident! Did you find the demi-hum-I-MEAN, goblin? Demigoblin?" He was a jittery mess.

"No." An emotionless reply.

The girls scrunched their noses. "He stinks."

Montcrey looked back at them. _'I have to get him out of here before they find out who he is!' _"Ah, no luck then? That's too bad. Well, though I may not know who you are all that well…will you accept my kindness and allow me to assist you to wherever your…_sleeping_ quarter's are, dear gentleman?"

Goblin Slayer shook his head then pointed out the window, up the mountain, directly at Rabier Manor. "Bring me back to that man."

Montcrey's jaw dropped. _'NOOO! SHUT UP!'_

"Eh?

"Heh?"

The two girls gawked simultaneously. The brunette pointed at Goblin Slayer in disbelief. "_You're_ the Sword Hero?" Her question garnered the attention of everyone in the pub.

"There are people in this world who call me that." He turned to her.

"Why do you wear such dirty armor?"

He answered without pause. "Goblin's have a keen sense of smell. They'll notice clean metal."

'_OH NO! STOP TALKING!'_ Montcrey panicked.

"What?" The brunette laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about goblins."

'_PLEASE, I BEG YOU! NO MORE!_' He pleaded with his eyes.

"But what about the waves?" The blonde asked.

"I do not know what these Waves are, but they are no excuse to let the goblins live."

"Um…you're the Sword Hero…and you don't know what the Waves are?" The bartender, totally uninvolved in the conversation, couldn't help but throw his own question in the mix.

"No. I don't care. Do you know anything about demigoblins?" Goblin Slayer turned to him.

The bartender raised his eyebrow, looking insulted. "**No**. I don't."

The two girls began laughing uncontrollably, using one another to support each other from falling over. Snickers and cackles bounced around the room. Goblin Slayer didn't care, but Montcrey frowned with despair, drooping his head in defeat. The blonde girl patted his shoulder.

"Y'know what? I think we're good. I've had my fill of the Sword _Hero_." She laughed as she and her friend walked away.

Montcrey grit his teeth as they left him, then spun toward Goblin Slayer. "Did you really have to come in now? Read the situation a bit!"

"What is there to read?"

"Those girls, man! I was trying to score with them! Y'know how hard it is for men in general, ESPECIALLY a carriage escort, to get with women like that in _Melromarc_?!"

"No."

With an exasperated face and a sigh, he gave up. "Ugh, fine. C'mon, let's go."

They walked out, leaving the remaining chortles to silence themselves behind the door. No one was outside, and their one carriage stood out amidst the few horses tied to a horizontal post. Montcrey stepped up onto the driver's seat as Goblin Slayer climbed into the carriage. He cracked the whip to get the horses going.

"Can you try to avoid the biggest bumps in the road on the way back?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Huh? Yeah, sure I can try. Why?"

"I'm inspecting my equipment." He said, pretending to fumble through his satchel under a lanterns light.

[Rabier Manor]

A waxing crescent moon lit the sky, like the smile of a thin hope sliced through a vast despairing darkness. As soon as the carriage past the manor's entrance, Goblin Slayer lifted the seat cover and helped Keel out from inside. He made sure that he knelt as close to the door as possible, in the darkness of the carriage. He kept his hand ready on the door handle.

They were brought to the center courtyard of Rabier's manor, which his personal living quarters oversaw. Idol wanted the Sword Hero staying as a guest as close to him as possible, for both the ego boost and the protection. As soon as the carriage stopped, Goblin Slayer opened the door before Montcrey had even lifted himself. Keel hopped and slid under the carriage, out of sight. Goblin Slayer walked out and up to Montcrey's side.

"Thank you for your service." He then handed him a pouch filled with coins.

They meant nothing to Goblin Slayer, but Montcrey excitedly seized and tucked it into his jacket pocket. Due to this, he remained seated. He tipped his head at Goblin Slayer.

"I thank you kindly, Sword Hero-sama." He then led the carriage away to be parked for the night. Keel huddled up against Goblin Slayers leg as soon as they were out in the open.

The night was not as dark as it was when Keel had escaped. The sky was clear, and the sliver of moonlight was enough for eyes to adjust to. However, Goblin Slayer was more adapted to seeing in the dark than Idol's guards were, and most of them were assigned to watch-posts around the walls of the manor. Only a handful guarded an area close enough to spot them should they strain their eyes. Fortunately, they were unsuspecting of Goblin Slayer, with eyes less sharp than his at night. He immediately formed a plan to distract every one of them.

"Where is it?" He asked Keel.

He pointed to a rectangular opening in the center of the courtyard. He recognized it immediately.

"On my signal, we will run there. As soon as I let go of my sword, **shut your eyes**."

Keel didn't understand what he implied with his request. He also didn't know how they could cross the entire courtyard unnoticed. There was a large distance to cover, and though night it may be, a wounded demi-human child would definitely be seen. However, at this point, what he did know for certain was that he could trust Goblin Slayer.

He gripped his swords hilt and made it transform while still in its sheath, hiding the flash. He slid it out, revealing a thin throwing blade. He rotated his body while keeping his core centered, then unwound his stance and slung the sword into the air. Keel squeezed his eyes shut. It soared over the roof, reaching the other side of the mansion. In Goblin Slayer's mind, the image of Priestess took form, holding a shining staff, mouthing out a silent pair of words.

"Holy Light." He spoke them in lieu of her absence.

The sword illuminated like a tiny sun, burning an alien daylight during the midnight hour. The darkness seared away, revealing all which it had hidden under its blanket of black. Keel could see the light through his eyelids, filtered into a fleshy scarlet. The sudden light had temporarily blinded all the guards. It was a few moments before the sounds of running finally started.

"Now!" He commanded in whisper.

As they ran across the courtyard, the footsteps of all the guards converged toward the front of the mansion, away from them. In his peripherals, Keel noticed the sword manifest back in Goblin Slayer's sheath. After another moment of running, they made it to the descending entrance of Idol's slave chambers. Once inside, they were out of view from the surface, further aided by the distraction he caused.

"Is that…one of the abilities of the legendary weapon?" Keel asked in amazement, kneeling on the stairs next to Goblin Slayer, careful of his broken hand.

"I don't know. It lit up in a cave I was exploring when I thought of…" An ache pained him in the heart at the thought of Priestess once again. "…Something." A silence passed between the two of them as Keel expected more of an answer. _'I'm sure…she's ok. They're ok.'_ Goblin Slayer thought, Keel never getting his answer. So he moved on.

"What about that sword you threw…where did you find one like that? I've never seen one so thin before…" He continued.

"I visited a black smith and had him forge various types of blades. Once I learned this sword can change into others, I made specific requests most fitting for every type of situation I could think to find goblins in this world."

Keel stared at him for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. _'Should I tell him that goblin's don't exist in our world? Not that he'd believe me anyway…'_

"Let's go." He walked down the stairs, stopping before the iron-bolted door.

He changed the sword back into its legendary form, easily slicing the lock. The metal door grated as it opened. The sound sent fierce shivers through Keel. The very noise had been so deeply associated with an incoming session of aggressive torture. However, this time was different. This time, he was on the other side of the door. Goblin Slayer pushed his way inside. No one was there, not even a guard. They couldn't even be paid to stay around demi-humans around the clock. Keel ran past him, knowing which cells to go to…and which one to avoid.

"Here!" He yelled, followed by the crack of metal snapping.

Together, they managed to save two other demi-humans held captive by Idol. The three children slammed into a tight embrace, crying into one another, relishing their freedom. Goblin Slayer slowly walked forward, examining the insides of each cell. Crude, inhuman shackles and torture devices rusted with dried blood painted a vivid picture.

The first thing he felt upon seeing these things, was a rush of excitement. The vision of putting goblins through such pain elated him with a sadistic joy. It was natural such a fantasy would occur, since goblins are at the forefront of his mind at every moment. That vision, however, was soon tempered by the realization of what had actually occurred here. That of demi-humans, children like Keel, suffering through the very torture he had just envisioned goblins suffering. The excitement that bubbled up in him morphed into a sick, unbearable anger.

'_That man…is he behind this? Though I can't allow myself to jump conclusions, I now have many questions for him.'_

The vision now, of demi-human children suffering, brought the thought of goblins back…but this time they stood on the other side of the torture devices. Had intelligence been an inherent quality given to them, the image in his mind's eye could have been a very real one. Compelled by the sickening anger twisting a knot out of his guts, he continued down the hall.

"There may have been more brought here while you were gone." He never broke his stride.

Keel turned to the other two, who shook their heads. Goblin Slayer was getting closer to _that_ cell. Keel was about to call out to him, to let him know that there was no one there…but his throat closed. His mouth failed him. Tears pooled over his eyes and trickled out the corners, lining his cheeks with cool streaks. The mere thought of Rifana was still too painful to even speak of.

Goblin Slayer reached the end of the hall, turned to the final cell, and stood still. Keel couldn't see past his own tears, and the other demi-human children were sobbing too, each of them unable to speak. All Keel could do was wait for him to return so he could help them finally escape this wretched place. If it wasn't for the sounds of their sniffles and weeping, the hallway would have been silent. _Dead_ silent.

"**HEY…**" His scold rumbled in their chests, making them jump.

This scared Keel. Goblin Slayer had yet to convey emotion through his voice since they met. Keel thought him incapable of it. A loud, aggressive, demanding growl was the last thing he'd expect of him. His fright cleared his sight of the tears and he looked at him. His gloved hand was pointed toward the cell. A glowing red eye burned from the invisible depths of his dark visor, flaring angrily.

"**Who is responsible for this?**" He growled again.

[Inside the mansion]

"We couldn't find the source of the light, but we've inspected the perimeter of the mansion. There is no one outside. Also, with the Sword Hero present on your property, I would not be too concerned. He should be on his way up here as we speak." A guard informed Idol.

He sat at a small table toward the wall, moved away from the window. He lifted a tiny cup filled with steaming tea, taking a dainty sip of it. "Hmm." He thought to himself, returning the cup next to the polished silver pot. "Keep the guards on alert. Also, I want you and a few of your men to remain with me until the Sword Hero returns. Once he is here, you may inspect the property for any signs of an intrusion. Montcrey relayed that the Sword Hero had not found the filthy demi in the woods…it could be possible that _it_ found itself some help…"

The guard nodded, dismissing several of his men, keeping four other guards with him in the room. The door shut, leaving the sounds of their footsteps to fade down the hallway. The five guards spaced themselves throughout the room.

"So what do you think is-" One tried to start a conversation, but the sound of lightning exploding just outside the door put an immediate stop to it.

The noise startled them, intensely, causing Idol and the five guards to jump. Their nerves were shot with fear afterwards, and their hearing was temporarily muffled. The only thing the closest guard could hear was the frantic banging on the door.

'_They need help!'_ The thought pushed him up and towards it, along with the need to know what happened. He grabbed the door handle and just managed to twitch it slightly, before an armored foot pierced through the center, breaking the door in half down the middle, and nailing the guard right in the solar plexus.

He stumbled backwards, holding his stomach, grimacing in pain until collapsing on his knees. Goblin Slayer walked in through the broken door. The remaining four guards shook their heads in disbelief, trying to make sense of what they saw. Goblin Slayer swung his sword in a large sideways arc, too far away from the distanced guards to mean anything. Or so it looked.

A floating line of electricity rippled into existence, then as if searching for a living host to attack, converged into four orbs and shot towards the remaining guards. Each of them screamed as they were electrocuted until the bodily bolts seizing them had dissolved, causing them each to collapse. This left Idol alone and unguarded.

"S-Sword Hero-SAMA, what is the meaning of this?!" He screamed, eyes shaking with panic, before he noticed something standing behind the broken doors.

Three demi-human children.

"Ah. AHH! There they are, Sword Hero-sama! DEMIGOBLINS!" He thrust his chubby hand as far as he could, sticking an accusatory finger at them.

Once in reach, Goblin Slayer swung his sword, cutting cleanly through Idol's hand. The very finger he pointed menacingly had horizontally split in half.

"GAAAHHHH!" He screamed with the pitch of a female child, tumbling backwards over his dining set. His pot of tea tipped over and spilt across his stomach, scalding him. He sat up in pain, placing his good hand over the burning skin. Goblin Slayer delivered a merciless kick to that very same spot, throwing him back into the wall. Idol looked up at the Sword Hero he once idolized as a holy figure, horror carved under the tears streaming down his face.

The children stood behind Goblin Slayer, crying through moistened glowers of pure and unhindered hatred. Idol pieced it all together in that moment.

'_This guy…he never trusted me!'_ His lips quivered. _'I underestimated him. I thought him to be a fool, to be an easy pawn who put hardly any thought into what he's told! He's mad is what he is! I don't know what those creatures did to him in his world, but they didn't make an idiot out of him. THEY MADE A SPITEFUL LUNATIC!' _

It was easy to mistake interacting with Goblin Slayer as dealing with a simpleton. Idol was one of many to commit this error. However, experiencing how ruthless and calculating he is illuminates an entirely different side of him. It forces a change in perception of him, for which the source of, is never in question.

'_He must be consumed with a fanatical hatred. He must be filled to the brim with violent rage. I figured he must enjoy killing those __creatures__ he described, and so I thought I could redirect that bloodlust. I misjudged it!' _His eyes began watering. _'Can NOTHING distract his single-minded obsession with…?' _Once again, his conniving mind concocted an insidious thought. This gave Idol one last, desperate hope to save his rotten self._ 'Hold on…that's it!'_

"**WAIT!**" He cried, prostrating himself pathetically on the floor. "I'm sorry! I promise, I will make it up to you by any means possible! You need adventurers? Guards? Resources? I can get them for you!" He lifted his head. Tears and snot painted his face like an ugly canvas. It was a disgusting, pitiful picture. "Because…you're only after _them_, right? Truly, the ones your mainly after are the **goblins**! Never forget what the **goblins **have done to you!"

Keel grit his teeth, spilling tears out of furiously narrowed eyes. "YOU THINK HE'S GOING TO STOP JUST BECAUSE YOU MENTION A MYTHICAL-"

"I am." Goblin Slayer replied. Keel looked up at him, his eyes hollowed with betrayal. "I will never forget what goblins have done, and will continue to hunt them, no matter how many there are or what world they're in."

Despair darkened in Keel's eyes. _'No…Sword Hero…you can't just…ignore what he's done! PLEASE!'_

Hope glimmered in Idol's eyes. _'YES! I have him right where I-'_

Then Goblin Slayer raised his sword. **"And so far-"** The hope vanished, his face lost all color, and he let out a pathetic, cowardly squeal. **"-You're the closest thing I've found to one!"**

He swung the sword down without a hint of resistance. A streak of blood splattered in an arc along the carpet. When all was said and done, Idol Rabier rolled over, across the floor… in two massive, separate pieces.

"I guess that makes _one_."

[Later]

Keel and the two other demi-human children sat in silence, wrapped collectively in a cotton blanket. It was their first time riding in a noble's carriage. Goblin Slayer sat in the driver's seat, directing the horses. Every nook, cranny and crevice in the road announced its presence with a violent thump against the wooden wheels. Yet, the seats cushions and the blanket of noble's quality made each bump a forgivable disturbance.

Keel looked back. The sight of the mansion he hated so much gave him a rush of joy, bringing tears to his eyes. Specifically because it was engulfed in a great sun of blazing flames.

"Good riddance!" He cursed in a weak voice.

"Where is the safest place I can take you?" Goblin Slayer asked them.

Keel heard of rumors that another noble in Melromarc respected demi-humans like his previous one. But they were only rumors. After what he had endured, rumors were the last thing he wanted to act on. Thus, there were only two places he knew he could trust without doubt.

"The country of Shieldfreeden or Siltvelt. Whichever is easier for you, Sword He-" Keel paused, before his tired lips formed a giddy smile. "…_Goblin_ Hunter!"

Authors Note: Next chapter, we'll be getting back to the main trio!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A few hours earlier, around the time Idol Rabier was trying to convince Goblin Slayer to hunt demi-humans…

"We call it Nen. It's similar in principle to what you call Mana, but a lot more complex. Sounds like you guys got it easy…increase your Mana reserves, and the skills that come with your class get strengthened too, huh?"

"I mean, your right…but easy is _not_ how I'd put it exactly…I'm somewhat of a mutant in that world. An anomaly. So I'm not a good specimen to compare and judge Mana against Nen with."

"A mutant, huh?" Killua raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, if you want to be technical, I'm no longer human. Genetically, I'm a monster, literally by the laws of nature back in Tortus. A prime example is how I can use Mana without incantations or magic circles, something that humans require. And it's great! Watch…" A stone block stabbed out of the ground in front of Hajime, from which he propelled himself into a front flip. "Can't do that if you gotta draw a fucking circle first! Those things take a bunch of time and skill to create, and even then they _hardly_ achieve even half of my current power."

"Heeeh? So you shortcut your way through? That's cheating!" Killua laughed. "For us, Nen requires intense practice and discipline, but the payoff is phenomenal! We don't have obstacles like chants and shape-drawing contests, but we are designated into one of 6 categories that determines the nature of the abilities we develop. Kinda like your different classes, but imagination is our limit, rather than certain preset spells and abilities that come with each class. But it's cuz of that, _we_ are our worst enemies. It boils down to skill, creativity and most importantly: will power. As long as you think quickly, keep an open mind and practice daily, the versatility at your disposal is boundless! A fight between Nen-users is always unpredictable, even if someone is obviously stronger."

Hajime laughed, astonished. "No wonder you put up such a good fight! I can't emphasize how surprised I was at how well you handled yourself against a superior opponent! Now see, I wish Mana was like that… Not just stats that empower base skills, but something that allows unorthodox liberty." He looked up at the sky, reimagining how differently his situation would have played out if Tortus had Nen. "I wouldn't have had it so bad when I was first sent to that world, if it was! Then again, I wouldn't be where I'm at now if we did…it was by exploiting everything about that world to my benefit, I've become so strong. So I guess I'm just complaining in retrospect."

"Hold on though, you're implying Tortus' power system is too rigid to get creative? _You_ utilize a whole variety of distinct skills with every attack of yours too!" With a smile, Killua pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I saw your guns when you shoot, you charge the barrel with electricity to amplify the power of each shot! And remember, I absorbed the ore you used to make that bullet…that's no mere rock it's made of."

"Oooh, you wanna talk about using distinct skills together? How about telling me how you actually _caught_ that fucking bullet? I'm still impressed by that!" Hajime punched Killua in the shoulder with his human hand.

"Ok, so bear with me. Nen is like an aura of energy that is equally distributed over the body. You can concentrate it on specific spots, but you leave yourself vulnerable everywhere else." Killua raised his hand and clenched it into a veiny fist. Only through his Demon Eye, Hajime could see the power gathering into it. "I concentrated my Nen using a technique called Ko on my hands. That was on top of the speed I was moving them at, of course…and _that's_ a technique called Snake Awakens."

"Goddamn, Nen seems fun! It sounds so intuitive!"

Killua and Hajime bounced back and forth, breaking down every facet of their fight. They excitedly recalled what they thought to themselves and detailed how they both tried to counter each other. The more they spoke, the more the blow to Killua's pride had healed. Especially when learning Hajime had the power to single-handedly destroy a large city in mere minutes, or a moderately sized country in hours. Even if they put up resistance.

Once he listed off the cap of his strength, particularly _without_ the restriction of the mana-cords, Killua couldn't feel as if he'd lost a fight. Rather instead, it was more like he survived a brawl against an unholy demigod. That shift in perspective was more uplifting than anything, having forced Hajime to reveal the cards he did.

As they bantered, walking through the town toward the Three Heroes Church, there was someone trailing far behind them despite having the same destination. He couldn't make out their words, but he could see the fun they had conversing with one another. He wanted no part of it though. The excitement in their tones of voice, the hearty laughter that beckoned with the temptation of a good time, held no effect on him.

'_Killua is one thing, he had the morality at least to stop himself, even in spite of what they did to him…but Hajime's been kinda fucked up from the start.'_ Kazuma thought back to the moment he was summoned to Melromarc. The first thing Hajime had done was threaten to murder everyone in the room, and his instincts let him know with alarming clarity that it was not an empty claim. _'He didn't even grant them a humane death. Even if they committed crimes worthy of execution…the term overkill doesn't describe what he did. It's like a monster ridding an annoyance from its sight, using its unfair strength to wreck them without regard as living beings…'_

Kazuma stopped walking. With his train of thought replaying the memories of the king and Myne's deaths…the sight in his peripherals just further cemented the brewing trauma in his mind. He turned slowly to the building at his side, in spite of his head jerking forward to ignore what drew his attention. This continued until he found himself facing it. Immediate regret. There was a hole in the wall, with blood spattered around its edges.

'_Myne's head…flew through here…!'_ He whipped his face forward, slamming his palm over his mouth, holding down vomit. "Ugh…" _'Man, that's fucked up. How are they so OK with it? I can't get that nightmarish image out of my head! I mean, it's not like I've never seen people die before, like when our town faced that Dullahan…but they were resurrected immediately after…and that's another thing!'_

Realizing how dire his situation is, Kazuma's heart starting racing. Each beat thumped like drums in his ears_. 'I could actually __**die**__ in this world. Things aren't a joke here, people are serious, and seriously dangerous at that! I'm not used to this kind of thing; I don't have the experience for this! I'm far too out of my element…but worst of all…' _He looked up at Hajime._ 'I was summoned alongside __**him**__. He's the most risky thing in this whole situation. _

'_I don't know what kind of world he's from or what happened to him, but he's an outright psychopath! The way he brutally murdered a helpless pair of people like that …it's just-' _He clutched at his chest, eyes shaking with fear. _'-Would he do something like that to me… if I make him mad? Say the wrong thing? Look at him the wrong way? How can you feel safe around someone who can kill so cruelly without remorse? I mean, does he even have a conscience?'_

His eyes shifted. _'Killua __**is**__ kinda like him in a way, so I see why they get along…you can count on lunatics to understand one another… But at the same time, he's different too. Watching him stop himself from killing the king, it lets me know I can trust being around him. He actually __**has a conscience**__. Plus he's strong, so he doesn't have to worry about Hajime all that much. It actually seems he's earned his respect…Me, however, I have __**nothing**__ in common with Hajime, other than being transported to another world…' _His hands went numb, unable to feel them shaking._ 'In fact, __**I'm just as helpless as Myne and the king!**__'_

"Oiii, Kazuma!" Killua waved his arm in a large arc.

He snapped out from his thoughts.

"Y-yeah?" He frowned. _'Please don't ask me to come over…'_

"Come over here! We have something important to tell you!"

_'GODDAMMIT! OF COURSE YOU DO!'_ His grit his teeth, annoyed at the forces of fate.

He trudged over to them, dragging his feet along the way. Once in audible proximity, he stayed back at a distance which still made conversation awkward. He tried not to think about it. He also tried to stand at a strange angle that kept Hajime out of his line of sight, focusing solely on Killua…acting as normally as possible.

"What's up?" He knew he looked dumb.

Even so, Killua spoke as if nothing was off. "We just noticed something. The king didn't seem aware that Myne was working with the church on her own. Yet, the church seemed to willingly keep that information from the king, in spite of her plans having a big impact on his succession, and thus the political infrastructure of their country. So it's either the church is just some mercenary service in disguise, and they keep their clients plans confidential from everyone…or they were working with Myne for totally separate and self-serving reasons. Meaning it was intentional the king didn't know.

"Hajime and I are assuming the latter, just considering the general influence of the church in this society. We doubt a mere mercenary service would take the time to go so far to gain loyalty abundant enough to rival their countries monarchy. That's too valuable of an asset. And so, why do you think the church would do that then?"

Kazuma's jaw went rigid under widened eyes. "So you mean to tell me… the church is planning something too?"

"Seems like it." Hajime said. "And that can spell some bad news for us, if were not careful. Between the king, Myne and the church, that's already 3 covert factions at each other's throats. There might be some intense political warfare going on, and that's just in _this_ country alone! Imagine things on an international level…as if the Waves weren't enough for these people." He clicked his tongue. "And of course here _we_ are, getting sucked right into the middle of all this bullshit."

Kazuma gave Hajime quick, hasty glances, pretending to occupy his sight with his surroundings as if on the lookout. "Ah…yeah. Things must be a real mess."

Hajime sighed and turned away. Killua spoke up.

"So basically Kazuma, what do you wanna do?"

"Huh?" The question caused a slight shake of his head. "What do _I _want to do?"

"Yeah, this might turn into another fight…well, _fight_…so-called." Killua quoted the word with his fingers. "It might get ugly again. Sooo…do you want to join us? Or go back to your party and warn them about the church possibly coming after you? Though you might have numbers on your side that way, there's no telling how many are more loyal to the church than to you…"

"Or if there's any undercover agents of the church disguised as an adventurer in your party…which reminds me-" Hajime turned to Killua. "-You noticed that one person in the back of the crowd, right?"

"Yup." Killua rested his hands behind his head. "They were definitely gathering information. Not sure for who, but it doesn't matter. It's nothing the town's people won't spread the news of themselves."

'_THERE WAS SOMEONE LIKE THAT?! I…I had __**no**__ idea!_' Kazuma's chest tightened, making him feel restless. He was further unnerved by the thought of entrusting his safety to possible agents, or potential traitors, among a party he became stuck with only a day ago. _'I guess…I could just leave and find a place to lay low, alone. Then once this blows over, I can meet up with them again and figure out what's going on. Wait…if I do that, there's a chance I'll run into Hajime alone. I'd __**really**__ rather avoid that. Also, if I try to lay low by myself…I might get caught by the church, and who knows what'll happen then! __**Fine.**__ That settles it.' _Kazuma nodded to himself.

"I guess…I'll join you guys then." _'Insane and Insaner they may be, the safest place in this world is literally right by their side… As long as they're on mine, which Hajime seems to be for now. I'll see what the church is up to myself while they take care of things, then I'll decide what to do based on what they find. A win-win!'_

"Alright, it's settled then." Killua gave a thumbs up. "When we get to the church, let's try to maintain a subtle formation with me in back and Hajime in front. Kazuma, you stay between us. It'd be easier to protect you from any surprise attacks should they come…"

"Y-yeah. I can do that!" _'So Hajime will be in front of me? I don't know if I like that. Actually, I take that back. I'd be so tense if he was behind me, watching my every step…Though I'd prefer Killua between us, but that __**would**__ leave me exposed either way…'_ The unease never left him, but he had to take what he could get.

"Also, Hajime, I need you to do me a favor." Killua asked.

"What's up?"

"You got a skill…Lightning Field, was it? It's capable of producing electricity too, right? You negated my Lightning Palm during our fight with something like that…"

"Ah, yeah." Hajime raised his hand, generating red bolts intertwining between his fingers. "Why?"

Killua raised his own arm, sparking up a small buzz in his palm. "I can't do any more than this. Gotta charge up. You can blame a certain _someone_ who made me use a few days' worth in under 10 minutes…"

Hajime chuckled. "My bad! Leave it to me."

They took seat on a nearby doorstep while Kazuma sat across the street from them. Hajime gripped Killua by his shoulder and blasted bright lines of thick bolts into him, spiking his hair out. The area began to smell of burning flesh. Despite the roads width separating them, the crackling surges hit Kazuma's ears like wooden boards snapping around his head. Hajime didn't hold back. Killua didn't even flinch. His respect grew into an outright admiration.

'_This kid…he's just a natural-born badass, isn't he?'_ "Doesn't this fucking hurt?" He smirked, red light flashing against him, causing shadows to flicker across his face.

Killua shrugged, holding down a proud smile. "Yea, it does, but I've been trained to tolerate the pain. It doesn't do anything to me, really." _'This guy just likes testing his powers on me, doesn't he? ...Not gonna lie though, it's pretty fun…'_

Kazuma's jaw was dropped. _'Doesn't __**DO**__ anything? He's FRYING you! It looks like your heart is going to pop! Wait…trained to tolerate?'_

The smirk shrunk off Hajime's face. '_OK…I gotta know…_' "Hey, I've been wondering" He raised a curious brow. "…What's your story? You're not…like anything I would have expected. You don't seem to have some tragic backstory or whatever that set you off, but you're also not a villain. I can't…figure you out. And it's intriguing. But I can tell your like me in a way, so…It just, made me kinda curious is all."

His tone held subtle indications of hesitance in what he admitted aloud. _'It's not every day I meet someone I actually feel like __**I can relate to**__… Especially as I am now! He's nothing like anyone I've met before. Sure as hell like no one from class. And I've watched plenty of anime and read even more manga before I went through that hell in the Orcus abyss…and even fictional characters hardly hold a light to him… I __**really**__ hate to admit this…' _

He closed his eye, a heartfelt gratitude permeating from the fact Shizuku wasn't here to see him_. 'But he's fucking awesome! Meeting him has made this whole ordeal kinda worth it, if anything. Maybe there's something I can even learn from him…' _In spite of such rationale,the memory of Shizuku beating him to the ground, with nothing but words, drew out the first bead of sweat his forehead had felt since being summoned._ 'There's no way she'd let this down if she saw me…'_

Though Shizuku was whole dimensions away, there was someone else he failed to consider to be on the lookout for.

'_Eh? I swear I saw a glimpse of an excited chuuni just now.' _Kazuma squinted his eyes at Hajime._ 'And is it just me…or was there a touch of tsundere to him too?'_ He shook his head. _'No, definitely not. It's just difficult for someone as psychotic and blood thirsty as him to understand what it's like to feel curiosity for a human being. Even a powerful freak of one like Killua.'_

Killua, meanwhile, was hesitant to answer. He was used to keeping all family matters a private affair. However, with each of them from separate universes, he deemed the circumstances acceptable. "My family, in our world, were the top of the most elite assassins in the criminal underground."

"Ohhh?!"

"Ehhh!?"

Hajime and Kazuma both gawked aloud. One in excitement, one in shock. Killua shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Also, according to them, I'm the most talented assassin our family line has ever seen. In fact, I was supposed to take over my old man's position as head of the business when I got older. Sooo… I don't know if that makes me a villain exactly, but I wouldn't say I was all that good, either. I was less than 5 years old when I assassinated my first target." His tone was nonchalant.

Kazuma and Hajime were equally surprised, faces stuck in a silent stare.

'_That's…kinda fucked up…' _Kazuma thought.

"Less than 5, huh?" Hajime said, the corner of his mouth upturned. _'Damn…his human kill count definitely has me beat.'_

Killua shrugged, looking at the sky in thought. "As for tragic backstory, I wouldn't exactly say that. Though, looking back on things, I could see why some people might consider my upbringing to be sad." _'I remember Bisky looked hurt when she saw me use electricity for the first time…' _"For as long as I can remember, I've been trained both physically and mentally to my absolute limits. All to forge the perfect killing machine.

"I've been constantly poisoned, by EVERYTHING you can think of, until I developed an immunity to it all. They'd shock me until electrocution meant nothing. We had a torture chamber they would shackle me in and whip me, cut me or break my bones, until pain was nothing more than an unpleasant sensation. Like an annoying ache. This was all normal to me growing up…" At last, a smile graced his lips under a fond warmth glowing in his eyes. "It wasn't until I met a good friend of mine that I realized what I had been missing out on. What life was supposed to be like…" Then his eyes suddenly widened, the nostalgia vanishing. "OH!"

He hopped up from Hajime's grasp. "Alright! I'm fully re-charged!"

Hajime sat there, still somewhat stunned. _'Enduring torturous pain to become stronger as a killer…_' He grinned. _'No wonder we get along…' _He stood. "Nice! We can get this show on the road again." And with that, the blood lusty duo continued walking toward the church. "Kazuma, don't forget the formation!"

"Yeah yeah, I got it!" Kazuma followed them from a distance again. _'So Killua went through all that…and this is who he is today?'_ As he thought this, with a mix of admiration, fear and sympathy, he looked at Hajime. _'But then…what happened to __**him**__? He seemed just as surprised as me about Killua's past…did he not grow up in a messed up way too? Maybe he's some sort of governmental experiment gone wrong…or an escaped mental patient…'_

The church soon came into view. Its trinity themes became evident as three zig-zagged spires jabbed their way up toward the sky. Like a godly trident piercing out from the earth. The top of each prong exalted a stone model for a sword, a spear and a bow. Behind the spires, they could see the crest of a humungous dome, reminiscent of a sports stadium. They were standing before its doors soon enough, feeling dwarfed by its mighty presence.

"Soooo, how do you guys want to go about this?" Kazuma asked.

Hajime walked up to the doors and started banging. "HEEEYYYY! WE'RE THREE OF THE FOUR HERO'S THAT DIDN'T ASK TO GET SUMMONED HERE! HOW DO WE GET HOME?"

Kazuma stared at him deadpanned. So did Killua.

"What?" It was the most natural course of action to him. "You gotta be straight to the point with these people."

A nun opened the door. "Dear Heroes…" Her eyes darted to Killua. "I'm sorry, but as this is the Three Heroes Church, I cannot allow the Shield Hero inside."

"Dang, you got a nice place in here!" Killua's voice echoed behind her, inside the church.

"What the-" The nun whipped around, and there stood Killua.

"Oh? You're right! There's lots of room here!" Hajime was by his side a second later.

"HUH?!" The nun yelled, confused as to how they just appeared, then looked back in front of her.

Kazuma spun his head left and right, just realizing he was alone. He looked at the nun with a clueless gaze. "Um…hi?" He waved sheepishly. _'What about the __**fucking**__ formation!?'_

The nun glared at him, then sighed, waving for him to come in. She had been warned that these heroes were inherently capable of superhuman feats, but said warnings had poorly prepared her for seeing them firsthand. Once Kazuma entered, they assumed the linear formation they discussed. Hajime in front, Killua in back and Kazuma between them.

"Hey, what's that fancy-looking thing over there?" Hajime pointed down the carpeted aisle, leading to a giant ornament.

It held five glass orbs, decorated with two dragons and their trail of flight molded out of shimmering gold. The high-noon sun beamed through a stained glass window, splattering the ornament and its platform in a kaleidoscopic array of dazzling colors.

"Dibs on selling it." Killua raised his hand. _'If the church actually has a way to get us back home, I can just say I found that thing in those ancient ruins I was exploring.' _Hefrowned with annoyance at the memory. _'Y'know…If I actually __**had**__ just gone to the casino, I wouldn't be in this stupid fucking mess…'_

Kazuma clenched his fist and grit his teeth. _'Goddammit, I was just about to call dibs! If only I wasn't so scared of Hajime and the church right now…that shit is a REFLEX of mine!'_

"S-s-_selling_ it?!" The nun freaked out, then gave a disgusted snort and stared Killua down with a harsh squint. "Shield Hero…I'm not sure how _**barbaric**_ of a world you've been summoned from, but that there is a Dragon Hourglass! It is NOT for sale!" In spite of her scathing tone, in the blink of an eye, Killua vanished from her sight again.

"Wha-" She was cut off by the ear-ripping pitch of screeching metal, like nails slicing across a chalkboard. She whipped her head toward the sound once it silenced. Killua had managed to push the Dragon Hourglass a few feet out from the center of its platform, defiling its immaculate aesthetic with asymmetry.

"Phew, this thing is heavy! Hey Kazuma, Hajime, if you help me pull this, I'll split the profits with…huh?" His head kicked back, eyes focused on something invisible. "Hey, church lady, what's this countdown thing I'm seeing? It's projected into my vision…"

Hajime leapt up to the hourglass and made contact. "Ah, your right."

Out of curiosity, and an attempt to rejoin formation, Kazuma jogged up and did the same. "Oh? Well, what'dya know..." He furrowed his brow in thought. _'…An upcoming event? One that we wouldn't know about unless we touch this thing? But what the hell's going on in this world that requires a countdown?'_ Then it clicked. "Wait, I think I know what this is!" _'With everything that's happened, I forgot how game-like this world is! And if it's not just a troll move, like I'd expect from my other world, then that should mean…'_ "This might be a countdown for when the Waves come! It's like a checkpoint we have to make contact with, to initiate a mission."

"Oh! Y'know? That makes sense." Hajime agreed, a lifetime of gaming making a faint, momentary return. "Maybe this hourglass is a point of registration?"

"Hmm, then that must mean there are others then…" Kazuma replied to Hajime unconsciously, making himself uncomfortable by accidently feeding into a possible conversation.

Fortunately, Killua interrupted.

"Well, that's convenient and all, but…" He was still focused on the time, concentrating on some mental math. "We have a freaking _month_ before the next Wave happens!"

"HUH? SERIOUSLY!?" Hajime did the math as well. "With the way everyone is freaking out about these things, you'd think they'd be coming twice a week or something. Damn, we have to wait a whole fucking month between each Wave? We're gonna be stuck here forever at this rate!"

"It just means that if whoever leads this church doesn't know a way home, we have to try our best to defeat these Waves as soon as they start." Killua said.

"Yea, I guess. If that's the case, then if we're lucky, maybe we can do it on the first try." Neither of them thought of it as a big deal.

'_Oiiiii…' _Kazuma glared at the two of them, his eyes narrowed with disbelief and envy. _'MAYBE FOR YOU GUYS A MONTH MIGHT SUCK, BUT I'M TERRIFIED OF WHATEVER THESE WAVES ARE! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO GET PREPARED! THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T STUPIDLY OVERPOWERED!'_

Hajime turned around to the nun. "Where's the leader of your church? I assume it's a pope? I have an important question I need to ask him."

The nun was still gaping, staring stupidly, when Hajime looked at her. She shook her head, regaining her thoughts. "Pope Balmus? Ah, yes. He is in prayer right now, but it should be a few minutes before-"

"He's in the dome back there." Hajime interrupted, using his Precision Sensing to track down his target. He started walking toward a large hallway that led to the dome. "I don't care what he's doing. We're going."

Kazuma took cue and began following, Killua close behind him.

"HUH? W-WAIT!" The nun yelled, running past them. She continued down the hall, rushing to beat them to the doors.

They watched her huff and puff farther away. There was something about watching a nun sprint so desperately that struck a chord right between comical and concerning. Hajime didn't react to her though, so Kazuma assumed it was nothing to worry about.

"Hajime…how many are you picking up on?" Killua asked, keeping his voice quiet so only the three of them could hear.

"Around 150. But they're not in there. Not physically at least."

"Yeah, I can feel that. It's pretty strong too."

"What…" Kazuma's brow twitched with annoyance. "…Are you two talking about?"

"There's around 150 mages hiding outside, accumulating magic power inside that dome where the pope is." Hajime said.

Kazuma stopped walking. "**WHAT!?**" He whipped around to Killua, wide eyes bulging.

"Shh! They'll know we're onto them! Just act like you have no idea…" He shooed him forward to keep moving.

'_I…I __**HAD**__ NO IDEA! NOT A FREAKING CLUE! HOLY SHIT, I WOULD HAVE WALKED RIGHT IN ON THAT! FUCK MAN, I'D BE SO DEAD WITHOUT THESE GUYS!'_

The nun waited a few feet in front of the doors. Her hair was disheveled and face paled whilst leaning forward to ease her panting. "I ask you again… dear heroes… allow his holiness to finish… his prayers first." She bowed to them.

"No." Hajime never broke stride.

Once they breached her position, Kazuma could then feel it. The immense power building up inside finally activated his Enemy Detection skill. The pressure was enormous. To him, it felt as if he was standing under the crashing wave of a tsunami breaching the atmosphere. He _knew_ that it was the collective power of 150 mages, but he couldn't _feel_ anything beyond an invisible colossal force. This allowed him get an idea of the gap between him, Killua and Hajime.

Killua had been able to sense this power from a much farther distance with a rough estimate, while Hajime was able to pinpoint the exact sources of origin. But that was just a hint of their true difference in strength, and Kazuma knew it. _He knew it all too well._ As his spirit trembled before this mighty power, this combined strength from a massive team of skilled mages, his heart was overtaken by a single emotion…

Pity.

'_Whatever trap they've worked this hard to set up…it doesn't stand a chance against these two!'_


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter came out a lot longer than I intended….enjoy!

Chapter 16

The doors opened, wafting into their faces a flood of stale air, dry and thick with incense. Torches along the curved walls flickered with a rustle as the escape of gust tugged on their flames. The doors creaked closed until a slam and a click ushered in near darkness and total silence. The bright sun of the afternoon sealed away behind the doors, leaving the heroes in a new atmosphere.

Killua looked around, impressed. _'This place is the size of the stadium in Heaven's Arena…does it __**actually **__**fill up**__ when all its followers gather here?_'

They stood at the edge of an enormously open space, packed with kneeling pews arranged in a grid patterned blocks. Whichever direction they looked, from before them, to side to side and all the space in between, these rows of pews continued on in every way. It totaled in the multi-hundreds.

Hajime led the line through an aisle between pews, shaking his head. _'What a bunch of wasted space. If I had a place like this, I'd make a ton of shelves and put my inventions on display! I'd need a lot more light, though. It's oddly dark in here for a church…'_

The torches provided only faint bursts of harsh yellow, forming a giant amber ring, surrounding the congregation area. Up at the utmost crest of the domes top was a windowed spire, leaking only a mere fraction of the sunny day outside into this place of worship. This left the nave dim, hardly touched by light, as if a darkness that threatened to ensnare the congregation pooled through its pews.

This was by design. The sparse light allowed people enough to see their way to seats. At the farthest end of the dome, opposite from where the heroes entered, a pulpit of immaculate design towered with imposing divinity. The top front of the pulpit was decorated with unusually bright candles. This accentuated the altar from which sermons are given, acting as the light of guidance amidst the darkness of those "lost in lies". It was here, the pope was waiting.

Pages of scripture reflected in his glasses. His shadow flickered against a giant holy symbol hung overhead on the wall. As the sounds of footsteps approached him, he raised his hand and held up a finger, requesting that the three heroes wait. Hajime, Kazuma and Killua came to a halt at the dead center of the nave.

Kazuma looked around as they stood, the hairs on the back of his neck raised and prickly. _'There's…nowhere to hide in here!'_

A thick, heavy clap shot a startling shock through him, the echo sloughing through the silence of the empty dome. It was the sound of the tome closing. The pope then pushed his glasses up his nose and lifted his face. At long last, he made eye contact with the three heroes, smiling with pride as he looked _down_ at them.

"What do you suppose is mankind's greatest sin, dear heroes?" His voice boomed against the walls, reverberating through the vastness, as if a higher power spoke through him.

"You're going to say arrogance, aren't you?" Hajime answered. "Then you're gonna relate that answer to us and how we don't conform to God's standards, or something like that, while _arrogantly_ acting like you're the paragon of all things holy…completely blind to your own hypocrisy, am I right?"

In spite of his fear, Kazuma cringed. "Ugh, I hope not, that's so cliché!"

"To add to that, when we consider he was conspiring with the kingdom, we can't discredit that his religious façade is meant to cloak a political agenda he's advancing." Killua walked out from behind Kazuma, joining Hajime in front. "By working with two royal family members, specifically with the king unaware of his own daughter's conspiracy, he basically collected blackmail he could have used against the royal family.

"Then the church could have claimed innocence while declaring the kingdom corrupt for seeking their assistance in underhanded schemes, abolish the monarchy through that pretense, and proceed to convince people that since they work for "god" or something, they are the truly morally righteous. Despite the fact they'd be taking over Melromarc under the rule of a theocracy."

The pope stared down at the three of them, absolutely dumbfounded. His mouth hung open with a fool's slack to it and his glasses slid down his nose, revealing big, clueless eyes. He then clenched his teeth and whipped out a stunning sword he was hiding under the altar.

"FUCK YOU!" He screamed like an angry child.

He raised the sword in the air and the gong of an invisible bell rung. An ethereal cathedral, generated by golden light, began manifesting against the curved walls. The shining energy slammed the darkness under the benches and into the cracks of the floor, painting the entire place in a vivid gold. The top of the mystical cathedral closed immediately. The mages outside had done their job well. The pope's most powerful attack had been made ready just as the three hero's stepped inside.

"You're right indeed, Devil of the Shield! You false heroes have made your blasphemy evident from the moment you were summoned! We had to move against you IMMEDIATELY! But you, especially, _could_ have posed a threat to me with your weapons defenses…however!" The pope lifted the sword, crackling with magical energy. "There's NO WAY you've built up enough skill in three days to withstand an attack of this POWER!"

The pope pointed the sword down. A blinding beam, swirling with empowering arcs of energy, shot down toward the three hero's. Kazuma couldn't hear his own scream over the deafening surge of concentrated power.

It struck. An explosion engulfed the space before the pope, extending beyond his peripherals. The momentary inferno burnt the tiny hairs off his arms and face. Hundreds of pews scattered throughout the air, smashing into the ceiling or breaking against the walls. The absolute destruction lasted for but a flash, finally tapering off with the return of near darkness and the sounds of pews landing and toppling. The spot where the heroes once stood was now an incinerated crater. Several strands of bushy fumes converged at its concave center from the twinkling ridges of charred stone. If anything of their corpses remained, it was currently being smoked like meat. The pope smiled.

"Ohhh, how God has blessed me, this was too easy…" He began giggling. They segued into wicked cackles. The evil laughter kept growing louder, the echoes blending into a heinous cacophony, leading up to the villainous roar of sadistic satisfaction.

Until…

"Dude, I'm _sooo_ happy you built a metal stake on this thing!" Killua's voice spoke clearly. "It made holding it that much easier!"

"Ya like that huh? Well, I'll keep ready at hand for you, _Shield_ Hero." Hajime clicked his tongue. "If I can't use it, might as well dedicate it to you."

"Really? Aw, SWEET! And here I thought that shield made from your bullets was strong!"

Kazuma was still in silence from shock.

The pope took a step back and froze. "Wha-wha-WHAT!" His jittery eyes desperately tried to confirm what he heard was real. "HOW DID YOU SURVI…EH!?" The smoke cleared, uncloaking a black coffin-shaped shield. It moved to the side, plucking out a metal stake impaled in the ground, revealing Killua to be its bearer. They stood atop a small patch of untouched floor which had fallen under the disintegrated space. At first, the pope just blinked. Rapidly. An instinctual response to the confusion and disbelief. He then lifted the sword again and pointed it at Killua, attempting to look threatening.

"Where…WHERE DID YOU GET SUCH A SHIELD!?" He demanded.

Killua cocked his thumb to Hajime. "From him."

"WHAT?!" The pope turned to Hajime. "BUT…why would _you_ have a shield? You're the…the…" He squinted his eyes at him. "What _is_ your weapon, false hero?"

Hajime smiled. That same sinister smile.

"**This**." He raised his gun, pointing it at the pope with the intent to blow off the arm holding the sword.

'_Oh no.'_ Kazuma's stomach dropped. _'He's going to…__**NO**__…I can't watch this.' _He turned away, unable to bear the sight.

"Wait!" Killua reached out. "How likely is it he might need both his arms for the slim chance he knows a way to send us back?"

Hajime turned only his eyes to Killua. "Idunno…but is it enough to hold off from shooting? I want to render him unable to wield another weapon…"

"Yea, just in case. We should play it more carefully than that…" He tilted his chin down into his fingers, thinking.

'_Killua…'_ Kazuma turned to him with a bright gleam in his eyes. He smiled and tucked his fist in victoriously at his side. _'Nice! I knew I could count on you!'_

"After all, we're gonna take him _captive as a hostage_ and put a Slave Crest on him. It doesn't matter what he wants to do or say!" Killua snapped his fingers with a grin, as if everything was hunky dory. "We'll just find a broom closet to keep him locked in for the meantime."

Kazuma's smile broke apart. _'…__**KILLUA!**__ I TAKE IT BACK! THAT'S STILL REALLY FUCKED UP!'_

Hajime laughed. "Yeah, you're right, my bad!"

He then used Supersonic Step, breaking through the altar and landing a solid punch in the pope's gut. The momentum forced the pope into the air, creating the illusion that the blood spewing from his mouth was propelling him upwards. He smashed into the ceiling, his body digging into the stone and leaving an imprint. Once the momentum had worn off, he peeled off for his return to the floor.

'_I'm gonna die!'_ His glasses stuck to him from the wind-force against his face.

He watched Killua say something to Hajime while pointing up at him. He then illuminated with lightning and disappeared. Hajime then walked under the pope and held his arms out. It wasn't until he was within ten feet of falling distance, he noticed red electricity crackling around his arms.

The pope landed bridal style in Hajime's hold. He shouted as he was electrocuted, the pathetic sound of his screams hurling back at him from the curved walls. Once unconscious, Hajime tossed his unresponsive body onto the floor like garbage. Kazuma stood speechless. The man who coordinated an immense magical attack, aided by 150 mages, was defeated in under a minute.

"That's it?"

Another few seconds later, Killua shot back into the room, skidding to a stop next to them as his body stopped glowing. "153. You were close enough. They're all down now."

"Eh?" Kazuma stared at Killua, mouth gaping. "That's it?"

Hajime grabbed the pope by his robes collar and dragged him. "This is about what I expected."

Hajime and Killua walked up the rough edges of the crater and out the doors they entered. This left Kazuma blank eyed and still processing how the dire threat he was _just_ under was gone already. By the time his bearings settled, he climbed up the charred stone to reach where the floor was still in-tact.

He pushed the doors open. The ominous darkness that almost swallowed him harshly burned away under the afternoon sun. It was blinding; His eyes readjusted to the light after a few moments. Once they did, he saw the other two further down the hall, Hajime still dragging the pope. Then Kazuma realized something.

"Hey, where's that nun? Shouldn't we find her too?"

"Already did…" Killua turned his head back, still walking. "She was waiting out here laughing at us, so I knocked her out first. I brought her outside to the others."

Once they arrived in the main area with the Dragon Hourglass, Hajime tossed the pope down and transmuted stone bindings from the floor over him. Then they left for outside. Indeed, around the back of the church, 153 mages lay unconscious throughout the town square. Some were scattered collapsed on the streets, some hung limp out open windows of nearby buildings, yet all of them drooled and twitched like passed out drunks.

"We really should have them on trial for treason." Killua said.

Hajime huffed. "Not our problem. That's the queen's duty. I got a more convenient idea, anyway." He walked towards Killua's aftermath, fitting between the field of unconscious bodies and the church's wall. He looked back and forth repeatedly.

He then Supersonic Stepped to every body that was within too close of range to the church's wall, kicking them farther back. He did this to dozens of knocked-out people until it opened up a wide perimeter around the church. Once satisfied, he drew in a deep breath, releasing it with a slow exhale. He repeated this until his mind was calm, relaxed enough to become receptive to suggestion like self-hypnosis. When he reached the state he felt was right, he began willing a verbal command to penetrate his subconscious with.

"It's _not_ a weapon…" He activated Treasure Trove. "It's _not_ a weapon…" He reached inside it. "**It's not a weapon!**" And managed to pull out Steiff, his motorcycle, without being rejected. "HA! YES! TAKE THAT, YOU FUCKING SPEAR!"

He hopped on and revved its engine. Then he began to drive around the church, through the perimeter he cleared.

_'Transmute!' _The ground began to grow vertically.

Not long ago, Hajime had been able to transmute a long wall around the town of Ur. Back then, since his Transmutation skill has a range of 13 feet from his point of contact, they were only that high when defending the town. This time, however, he didn't have to surround a whole town. Just a big church. This made it easier for him to try something new. He sped around the church once, transmuting a 13 foot high wall...then drove onto the new wall he just made and added 13 more feet to it. Then again. And again. And again.

Killua and Kazuma stood there, tilting their heads up in wonder and disbelief, as a large shadow cast over them. 20 times he repeated this, until the wall was as tall as the trident spires. This giant wall cut the church off from the rest of the world, like it declared itself a separate country. A hole the size of a door opened and Hajime sped through on Steiff, closing it as his motorcycle disappeared back into his Treasure Trove.

"Alright, all done." He looked back at the wall, nodded with pride, then head inside.

Killua followed right after. "Have I mentioned I like the way you think?"

Kazuma was still staring at the giant wall before him. Some time passed before the shock of the ridiculous occurrence finally subsided. _'WAIT A MINUTE!'_ His head shook before whipping around with widened eyes. _'NO WAY…'_ He sprinted to the doors. _'Do…Do they just plan on just __**staying**__ here like this?'_

He ripped them open and ran inside. Hajime and Killua were pointing at different spots in the spacious hall, as if the pope bound to the floor didn't exist.

"There's tons of valuables in here. Let's collect them all in this area and we can figure out what to do with them." Hajime used his Ore Perception skill to identify common items around the church, containing precious metals. "Don't get me wrong, I hope like hell that this asshole knows a way to get us back home…but if not…we're gonna have to figure out some living arrangements in this world. Apparently we were supposed to have monthly financial aid from the king to add on what we earned as adventurers…" He rubbed the back of his head. "…Whoops…" Then chuckled.

"I doubt anyone is gonna hire us as adventurers anymore, so it's a good thing you've secured this place for us to stay. Word might spread slowly, but it'll be just a matter of time before other countries hear about what's happened." Killua was toying around with an idea in mind, unsure how to make it work just yet. "We might be able to hunt our food too, but it'd be smart if we could somehow secure reliable income. We should also consider ways to offer means of cooperation with the public. If we could enter some mutually beneficial relationship with them, while focusing on what we need to do, that would provide us with as smooth of a time to spend here until we get home. Cuz I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be interrupted to scare off a bunch of vengeful moron's everyday when I just wanna chill."

"Agreed. It's too much work to bully your way through everything, plus you accrue too many unnecessary enemies that way. I may kill them, but it's not like I try to make them. But whatever, we got time to sort that stuff out later. For now, do you think I should transmute some rooms in this area? It'll take some time to pull off, as well as a lot of my Mana, but I could do it. Unless you have a better idea?" Hajime looked at Killua, trusting his input.

"The pope lived here, right? And I'm sure some of those mages were live-in nuns or disciples. Let's explore this building first, head to toe. They should have a living quarters we can use. That way you can conserve your Mana for more important things."

Throughout their interaction, Kazuma watched them as his jaw progressively dropped. _'THEY'RE SERIOUSLY JUST MOVING IN! THESE GUYS HAVE NO CONCEPT OF…Wait…'_ His expression became serious. _'…This could actually work out __**really**__ well for me too…'_ Then his face paled, his worries and fears resurfacing in a panic. _'But could I really stay in the same place as Hajime?'_ He watched him from afar, and still his heart began racing. It made a knot of his guts. The warmth drained from his hands, refusing to return no matter how hard he clenched his shaking fists.

His mind flashed with images of Hajime pointing his gun at him. The memory of the king being shot in half replayed with cruel clarity. Kazuma turned his face down. '_I…can't. I wouldn't get a lick of rest. I just…can't feel safe around him, or even trust him…Guess I'll have to suck it up with my party. I just hope that there aren't any infiltrators that'll take me hostage, or traitors who'll kill me out of vengeance. Though they might try and force me to lead them against Hajime and Killua…but that, for sure as hell, is not gonna happen.' _

His eyes tightened. Not because of any particular sight, but because of the tears his hopeless feelings forced up. He felt pathetic, too weak to stand a chance in this world. He felt alone, stranded without someone to confide in and sympathize with. Most of all, he felt utterly helpless against the grim circumstances before him. In this rare moment of vulnerability, he sincerely considered surrendering all hopes of making it through to the end._ 'Am I really… going to die here? Some way, somehow, in this world?' _

He looked up at the holy symbol mounted above the Dragon Hourglass. It was enough to make him think dearly of a specific person. One whom he consistently berated. Yet now, regretted he couldn't let know, in this moment, the depth of his trust he had for her in crucial times._ 'Aqua…I really do wish…you were here with me right now…' _He then thought of Megumin and Darkness._ 'At the point I'm at now…if they were to be summoned before my eyes in this moment…I might…' _Never had a smile felt so painful to him. _'…Actually cry.'_

Hajime's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Oi Kazuma, Killua tells me you have a Smithing skill, right? With your help, I can make a hot springs for the three of us."

"**Eh?" **The widening of his eyes released the tightness, drawing the tears back with surprise. He held his hands up defensively. "E-ehhh…" _'That is SOOOO tempting…but…' _"N-nah, I'm good. I think I should head back to my party. Someone's gotta, you know, keep an eye out on what's going on outside, right? Like, if they're plotting something, I can let you guys know! Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I don't think I should stay."

He turned away abruptly and made his way towards the doors_. 'Man…this is gonna fucking suck…'_ His knees grew weaker with each step pulling the exit near. His mind flashed with paranoid possibilities of what awaited him out there. What dangerous situations he might be unable to escape. It made him nauseous. It wasn't until his mouth was dry that he realized how much he'd been nervously swallowing.

He then thought of Killua, who definitely has had it the worst out of all four of them. A tinge of inspiration spurred in a tiny part of his heart. In spite of what Killua endured, he used his strength and wit to overcome every challenge that this world unfairly hurled at him. In a way, Kazuma looked up to him, solely with the hopes to emulate just a bit of his willpower. It helped ease his fears by a slim fraction. He smiled to himself. It, too, held a hurt to it.

'_Still, Killua's kinda cool though. I do wish we could've hung out a bit more…'_ The regret pained him, but he pushed forward toward the church's doors. It took a lot more fortitude than he expected to suppress the urge to look back, one last time.

"Hey Hajime…" Killua said.

"What's up?" They both spoke loud enough for their voices to reverberate around the church.

Kazuma was just about to push the doors open, finally leaving them behind, when…

"I think you're right. Kazuma's definitely scared of you."

His eyes shot open wider than before.

"H-HEY, KILLUA!" _Now_ he turned around, but in a panic. _'WHAT IF HAJIME GETS INSULTED BY THAT AND __HE__-'_

"I told you _so_." Hajime crossed his arms.

Killua just stood there, looking at Kazuma with a catty grin.

"HUH?!" Kazuma whipped his head to him, dumbfounded. _'He…he knew!? And they were talking about it?'_

Hajime looked back at him with a nonchalant gaze.

"What? I'm not dumb, you know." He shrugged, genuinely unoffended. "You've pretty much been okay with me this whole time, despite how I'm constantly making death threats and being a general ass to everyone. However, the moment I brutally murder people without a warning right in front of you, all of a sudden you're jumpy and nervous around me?" He squinted his eyes with a smirk, then used Supersonic Step to appear inches before Kazuma.

"AH!" He jumped and leaned back, shielding his face with his hands. Hajime teased him with a smile and poked his chest between his arms.

"Oh gee, I wonder why he's so scared of me? Is it because he thinks I'm an unstable, unpredictable psychopath who might kill him out of a childish tantrum? Because he hurts my feelings, doesn't do what I say, or annoys me in some way, shape or form?"

"Erg!" Kazuma stuttered. He looked away from Hajime's intense eye contact, and watched Killua waltz up to them with a relaxed gait. The look on his face was one of…amusement. He was getting a harmless kick out of the situation. Ironically, this was what Kazuma needed. It helped shave an edge off the tension. For the first time since the king and Myne were executed, Kazuma looked Hajime willingly right in his eye. "YES! That's EXACTLY what I thought!"

"Knew it." Hajime smirked, leaning back out of his personal space.

"Same." Killua said, picking some lint off his shoulder.

"Look, Kazuma…" Hajime's smile faded, replaced with a serious face. "I'm not some dense psycho who can't wrap their head around the trauma of taking another human's life. I've just lost the ability to give a shit about it. I'm fully aware of the fact that I've lost my humanity. However, that doesn't mean I've become an impractical idiot." A faint trace of his smile returned. "I've just become rather unforgiving about standing up for my own biased needs. And I _need_ to get home. As fast as possible, by the most quick and pragmatic means. Because of that, I've developed a rather harsh but simple set of values. _Deal with your own problems, with your own power._ And anyone who gets in my way, tries to stop me or works against me is my enemy…" His eye darkened with bloodlust. "And I _**kill**_ my enemies."

Hajime's obsession with determining "enemies" had suddenly become clear to Kazuma. It did little in quelling the built up fear he had toward him, though. The very sight, down to the mere thought of Hajime, still set his nerves alight with fright.

"I mean, I guess that makes sense. But I still can't just…feel safe about something like this."

"Why not? We all have the same goal here." Killua rationalized with him. "It's just nerves at this point. Take some time to calm down and think logically about it, and you'll see that he doesn't mean you any harm. Unless you betray us to get laid…"

"What?! No, I wouldn't do that!" _'Duly noted…don't do that…'_ "But it's not that easy, Killua! It's just…" Kazuma rubbed his head, growling lightly in frustration, unable to coherently articulate his feelings. "Look, just…Try to see things from MY perspective here!"

"Hm?" Hajime raised a curious brow.

"I've only seen violence in anime, manga and video games. Witnessing it in real life is a whole different thing! The blood! The guts! The survival instinct that kicks in, warning you that a life has just ended, and you might be next! Those things can't be recreated in visual media! _Any_ normal person would freak out at that…but for someone like _me_…it's even more intense. For someone who…the world outside my bedroom…human interaction…was non-existent for most my life."

Kazuma turned around, embarrassed, looking down. He rubbed his elbow with crossed-arms, unconsciously protecting himself and his insecurities.

"You see…it's seriously embarrassing for me to admit this… but I was a NEET. A shut-in, who stayed home all day, every day, living a life of shameless self-indulgence. But I was safe there. My life was limited to the confines of my bedroom walls. I'd spend nights gaming endlessly, sacrificing sleep to focus on gaining EXP. I did this for years, until hardly anyone outside of my family actually knew my name. The only humans I saw were two-dimensional anime girls either on my computer screen or posters on my…"

Kazuma's sad, shameful, down-cast face exploded with annoyance. "HEY!" He then pointed behind him at Killua. "I can feel you judging me with a look of disappointment!"

The look of disappointment that Killua judged him with changed to surprise. "Wow!" He gave a catty grin again. "You must have a sixth sense for when people are disappointed in you!"

Kazuma whipped his head towards him with gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that." Hajime said. "I'd notice a shut-in NEET a mile away."

Kazuma slowly turned his head to Hajime, glaring at him with unhindered irritation. "Ohhh? And why is that?" His voice was flat.

Hajime smiled. "Well, I wasn't that far off from one when I was growing up too!"

Kazuma shook his head. "**Huh!?**"

Even Killua turned to Hajime with a stunned face. He pointed at Kazuma. "You were like _that_ too?"

Hajime snickered. "Bet you guys would'a never guessed! Yep, I was almost as pathetic as Kazuma over here…"

"Oi…what do you mean _almost_?"

"My motto was always _hobbies over real life_! Though I never went as far as to stop going to school. My parents were in the video game and manga industry, and since I'd volunteer at their sides, employers had an eye on me. Cuz of that, I was just gonna follow their footsteps and make my hobby my job. So it would've looked bad if I neglected my education. Well…I say that…but still, I'd get to school as late as possible, sleep all day throughout class, and leave as soon as possible to go home and play games, watch anime and read manga. My classmates hated my guts for it, treating me like lazy scum…"

"Hey, a quick question?" Killua raised his hand. "Is there some sort of connection to how you were both unproductive wastes of time and that you've both been transported somewhere that forced you to be more useful? Maybe you've been rejected from your original worlds by a universal force…"

Hajime and Kazuma glared at Killua, unamused. Hajime dismissed his question with the wave of his hand.

"Don't mind him, he overthinks these things cuz he's never watched an Isekai anime."

"Figures." Kazuma nodded.

A vein bulged on Killua's forehead.

"Anyway, it didn't help that the most popular girl in class apparently held a secret crush on me." At this, Kazuma eye twitched with envy. "She was the class queen, and her hovering around me just made the guys jealous while the girls thought I was a nuisance to her. I just wanted to be left alone, and yet here she was, making things 10 times worse…" Thinking of Kaori, Hajime remembered her confession to him the night before he fell in the abyss. When she described the exact moment her crush on him had started.

"Oh, here's a good example for you guys! Kazuma, this should help you understand exactly the kinda person I used to be… This is a true story. There were once these delinquents bullying a kid and his grandma. The poor kid accidently spilled something on one of their jackets, and they forced them to apologize…but it got outta hand. The kid started crying, the grandma cowered in a corner, and eventually their harassment reached a point where they were demanding money from them."

"Typical…" Kazuma spat.

"I happened to see the entire thing unfold…" _'Damn…it's still embarrassing to think she actually saw this…' _"I was going to ignore it, but after seeing how hostile things were getting…I guess my body moved before I could think. Can either of you guess what I did?"

Killua raised his hand. "Beat the shit out of them?"

Kazuma raised his hand. "Shoot them and proceed to get isekai'd away while running from the cops?"

Hajime chuckled. "Guys, believe it or not…I actually used to _HATE_ violence! You think I could stand a chance in a fight? Kazuma, honestly, you definitely could've kicked my ass back then!"

Hajime shook his head, smiling at how drastic he has changed since then. Killua's brows furrowed analytically, while Kazuma's raised curiously.

"Nah, see… What I did…is I prostrated myself on the ground and begged them to forgive the grandma and her kid. In broad daylight. In public. They spilled their drinks on me, spit on and stepped on me, but I wouldn't budge. It was shameful and embarrassing, but I knew if I stuck it out…no one else would get hurt or have to pay anything. Eventually everyone became uncomfortable, including the grandma and the kid, but the delinquents ended up leaving and nobody got hurt. Like I knew would happen.

"_That_ was how I used to be. If it took prostrating on behalf of a total stranger to stop those assholes and keep everything peaceful…well, apparently I'd do it without a second thought. I couldn't tell if I was genuinely kind…or if I was just passive and wimpy…" He shrugged. Whichever it was, no longer mattered. "But I do know that, at least, _someone_ thought that it was a testament of bravery. For someone as weak as I _was_ to stand up to someone stronger for what I knew was right."

Killua and Kazuma stared at him, speechless in spite of their gaping jaws.

"You're not messing with us, right? You _are_…serious?" Kazuma asked.

Hajime nodded. "Yup."

Kazuma pointed an intense finger at him. "WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK _HAPPENED_ TO YOU!?"

"And you accused _ME_ of having a tragic backstory?!" Killua unfurled his hands, wriggling his fingers in disbelief.

Hajime bellowed out a joyous laugh. "Aw man, good times!" He wiped a tear from his only eye and took a cross-legged seat on the ground. "Well, it's a bit of a story, so you might as well get comfortable."

Kazuma and Killua sat down. The soft groans of the pope could be heard in the background, but it was easy to ignore. For two of them, at least.

'_This is still kinda fucked up…'_ Kazuma knew his comment would fall on deaf ears, and thus, kept it to himself.

"Okay, to start off, my whole class got summoned to another world as heroes one day. Go figure, right? Same fucking thing happens to me twice in a row." Hajime turned around and spit out of spite. It traced a high arc through the air until it splatted on the pope. He groaned even louder this time. "Anyway, the real bullshit started when everyone in class, including my teacher, got these ridiculously overpowered stats and abilities…except ME!" He slammed his palm against his chest. "Like what the fuck!? I was the biggest otaku in the class, why did I get the short end of the stick?"

Kazuma was immediately invested in Hajime's story. Intimately so. School was a sore subject for him, one that brought out latent insecurities he hated to recall.

'_But what if I had stayed in school…'_ The thought put Kazuma into Hajime's shoes, almost naturally. It was not hard to see himself as someone who would be judged and disliked for their hobbies. Plus, due to his insecurities, it would be his worst fear to be isekai'd alongside his classmates, only to be the weakest one of all. Because of how easily he related to pre-fall Hajime, Kazuma found himself vicariously experiencing his story as he told it.

"Moving on, there was a dungeon with 200 hundred floors, with each one more dangerous than the one above, that our class was designated to train in by clearing through. Let me put this in perspective, the 20th floor separated the noobs from the skilled, and past the 40th floor, you were basically considered superhuman. There was only _one_ legendary occurrence of adventurers making it to the 65th floor, and no one had been able to get down that far again…this is important, ok?

"My class, as they were overpowered but inexperienced, could only handle the 20th floor. We were training with a group of knights when one of my stupid fucktard classmates triggered a trap that teleported us straight to the 65th floor. It was there, when little weak ol' me was holding off a giant monster DESPERATELY with every last bit of my power so everyone could escape…one of them betrayed me. They sent a fireball directly at me, amidst a barrage of attacks aimed at the monster I kept temporarily at bay. It knocked me down into the abyss of the dungeon, and I landed on the 66th floor...a floor that not even a legendary feat could reach!"

Even Killua felt a tension grip in his chest at where the story was going.

"Guys, I won't lie…I was terrified when I woke up down there. I was close to bawling my eyes out and just curling up on spot, but I knew if I did that…I would've just broken down into hopelessness." Those particular words stung Kazuma, having felt a similar way just moments ago. "The monsters on that floor we're dangerously strong! I mean, I saw a big rabbit fight off three even bigger wolves… Then it tried running away from the biggest monster of the floor, a giant carnivorous bear…" Hajime raised his robotic arm.

"It sliced my arm off and ate it before my eyes. Looking at you guys, I can see you have no idea how horrifying it is to watch one of your own body parts get devoured by a fucking monster in front of you…so take my word for it._ It's traumatizing_. And of course it wanted to eat the rest of me! I managed to use Transmutation to burrow myself deep into a cave wall…and I just hid there. Not moving, refusing to leave. _For ten days_. You'd be surprised at how long _every single minute_ can feel when you're dying of hunger."

Hajime huffed and waved his hand in disgust. "What a fun fucking time that was, scared and alone in the dark, knowing it was impossible for help to come, yet desperately hoping for the miracle of it. Plus to top it off, I had such happy memories to entertain myself while I writhed in starvation and hopelessness. Y'know, memories like all my classmates treating me as worthless scum, being a pathetic weakling while everyone else got the abilities I'd always dreamed of having, being relentlessly bullied and picked on…and having all of that culminate up to the lovely image of a fireball aimed right for me by someone who I risked my life to keep safe!" He chuckled to himself. "Yeah…**I went **_**fucking crazy **_**down in there.** To be honest, I actually don't remember anything clearly from that time…just this blinding anger and a desire for everyone to die as painfully as they could possibly suffer..."

Hajime stopped talking, doing a double-take at Kazuma before blinking rapidly. "Huh?"

Killua looked at him too, his own face conveying concern. "H-hey, Kazuma…you alright?"

"Huh?" Kazuma was too absorbed in Hajime's story on a personal level to realize his own reaction to it. Only when the words guiding his imagination had halted, did he realize how blurry his vision had become. "What?"

He brought his fingers up to his eyes to rub them clean. He became self-conscious once he felt the tears smear against his face. "A-Ahh, ugh!" He used his sleeve to dry them immediately. _'Dammit, this is embarrassing! Not in front of them! I can't believe I'm actually crying now…'_ The only other time he remembered shedding tears like this…was when he thought he'd never see his party again after dying for the second time. Never did he think he'd experience something on par with that moment...but imagining himself in Hajime's situation had hit way too close to home for him.

"Oi, Kazuma, look at me." Hajime said.

Kazuma wiped the rest of the tears out from his eyes. Despite feeling how red and puffy they had to be, he didn't want to make Hajime wait. What greeted him was perhaps the strangest sight he had seen since being summoned. A heartfelt smile, one that reached Hajime's eyes.

"I'm here now, aren't I? Obviously I made it out, and got a hell of a lot stronger due to it. As far as I'm concerned, I had a happy ending to that chapter of my life. There's no need to feel bad for me…but thanks anyway."

The smile lingered on Hajime's face. Kazuma, with eyes beginning to water all over again, reciprocated with his own smile, just as genuine. Killua grinned, leaning back onto his hands and relaxing his posture. Suddenly, Kazuma lunged forward and grabbed Hajime by both his shoulders.

"PLEASE TELL ME YOU KILLED HIM!" He shouted passionately in his face.

"W-WHAT?" Hajime looked surprised and confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"THAT ASSHOLE THAT BETRAYED YOU! TELL ME YOU KILLED HIM!" Unbeknownst to Hajime, in Kazuma's mind, the image of the classmate who betrayed him took on the form of an extremely gorgeous man. With long, flowing hair of cascading gold, a square jaw and eyes beautiful like sapphire gems. This unrealistic portrayal laughed a suave and haughty laugh in a deep voice, with sexy woman unrelated to Hajime's story embraced in each of his arms. "I WANT HIM DEAD!"

"OI!" Hajime pushed Kazuma off of him. "Dude, you're weirding me out! No, I didn't kill him! To make a long story short, in order to move on, I vowed revenge on the bear that ate my arm. That was the enemy I _needed_ to overcome at the time, both mentally and physically. And I did…I cut its arm off, ate it before its fucking eyes and then blew its ugly head off. I then immediately realized that vengeance is pointless without a cause, and since then, all I've done is focus my efforts on getting the fuck home. That's it! I actually ran into the guy who shot the fireball at me, and he's a little pussy! If he fucks with me again, then yea I'll kill him, but until then…he can go fuck himself!"

"Wait, so how'd you get such strong abilities then? You obviously didn't have them from the start…" Killua asked, making sure the parts of the story he was looking forward to weren't neglected.

"Well, by some astronomical luck, I found a rare gem in the cave I burrowed myself in. It secretes an extremely potent elixir capable of healing the most fatal of injuries. Good thing too, cuz it's how I survived for 10 days without food, it kept me hydrated. Plus the only thing I could eat were the monsters down there…and their flesh is indescribably toxic to humans. Basically, I ate some monsters, altered my DNA by accident, and proceeded to get ripped apart and reformed from the inside-out repeatedly until I was no longer human. But through that, I absorbed a particular ability from one of them called Iron Stomach, which allowed me to eat any sort of monster flesh. So I just continued eating more and more, absorbing their skills along the way."

"YOU GOT POWERS BY EATING MONSTERS!" Killua jumped excitedly to his feet. "THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME!"

Hajime threw his head back in laughter, then stood too. "Yeah? Well, so is being born and raised to be the most talented assassin in the world!"

They fist bumped, the sound cracking like thunder through the church. Then looked at Kazuma still on sat on the floor. Killua held is hand out to him.

"Stealing a woman's panties in a matriarchy is kinda badass in its own right too!" A trolling smile sneered across his lips.

Kazuma shook his head with a grin. "Hey now…with panties her size, she had anything but a bad ass!" Kazuma clasped hands with Killua and allowed himself to be pulled up.

They brushed the dust off their clothes, and the three of them turned towards the wide open space in front of the Dragon Hourglass…and the pope bound to the floor off to the side.

"C'mon, let me transmute that hot-spring tub." Hajime began walking over. "Killua, you ever been in one before?"

"Can't say that I have." He said with a shrug.

Kazuma threw his arm around him with a big smile. "Well buddy, you're in for a treat tonight! I think we can all use some relaxation after everything that's happened today."

The aches around Killua's body, earned through his match against Hajime, returned with a blaring vengeance. "Yeah, relaxing sounds pretty damn good!"

"And what about you, Kazuma? You change your mind yet?" Hajime looked back with a knowing grin.

Kazuma chuckled, and gave a big thumbs up. "Yeah. I'd _kill_ for a hot spring, right about now!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Authors Note: **My bad for the wait, busy times now and more coming up. Next chapter is like 60% done (this was all supposed to be one big chapter, but it was gonna be over 20 pages at that rate, so I split it and focused on editing this to keep the story going...), so hopefully I'll get it finished in the next few days!

Chapter 17

Hours had passed. It was only now, the first bunch of church disciples roused from their forced slumber. A sparse handful, at random, spaced unevenly through the field of comatose bodies. They were confused as to their whereabouts. A giant wall they've never seen before stretched up into the sky. However, an inspection around showed the same town that always surrounded their church. It was then obvious that this wall was built while they were out cold.

It took discipline to subside their astonishment, but it was the duty of those awake to formulate a plot immediately. Vengeance was a must. They lost a battle, but the war continues. Disperse, regroup and plan. They had to scout out a new location. They had to help their brethren recuperate. They had to rescue Pope Balmus. There was no way they could let this injustice be.

But they didn't have a choice in the matter.

"STAY DOWN!" Ritsuka yelled, aiming her sword at the throat of the forefront mage.

He held his hands up in defense, showing his palms to convey surrender.

"In lieu of both the King and the Queen, I, Ritsuka, Second-in-Command of the Bow Hero's party, had been elected by majority rule to oversee the capital of Melromarc until her highness has returned! You will be put under the oath of Slave Crests and be interrogated by me and my subordinates!"

"W-WAIT! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" The mage lied. "Those three heroes, they attacked us first! We were defending ourselves!"

Ritsuka grit her teeth. "We are in a time of emergency! Strict measures will be laid out and followed without exception! We have no time to take your word at face value!"

"Heyyy, Captain Ritsuka!" A young paladin, most infamously known for sending Goblin Slayer away by accident, waved his hand by the strange wall where the church once could be touched. He pulled off a sheet of paper tacked against it and ran it to her. "It's addressed to you."

Ritsuka took the parchment. Indeed, her name was written on the outer folds.

"…who could this be from? Kazuma-sama?" She unraveled it gently. She cleared her throat, preparing to read it aloud before her fellow comrades and the awakened members of the church.

"_Dear Ritsuka, its Kazuma, the best hero, no-questions-asked. Just so you know, the Three Heroes Church was attempting to overthrow the kingdom and start a revolt to take over Melromarc. They should probably be tried for treason._

_And yes, this is a giant wall you see surrounding the church. Hajime and Killua have decided to make it their home, and they invited me in. I hope you guys don't mind, but it's pretty safe and comfortable in here, so I've taken up their offer. Also, please don't try to do anything against them. They are STUPIDLY powerful, and will probably kill each and every one of you if you make their lives more inconvenient then it needs to be. Hajime wants me to let you know he said that personally._

_But don't worry, they want to go home as quick as possible, so they plan on defeating the Waves as fast as they can. So you're good on that end! Everything else however seems like it's gonna be your guys' problem now. Sorry about that!_

_Sincerely, the best hero."_

Ritsuka crumpled up, ripped apart and stomped on the letter. She glared at the members of the church. "Taking over Melromarc, huh?"

The anger in her eyes was mostly due to them trying to lie their way out…but a sheer, unadulterated annoyance, unrelated to them, had wedged in its own little place. The rest of Kazuma's party was present, naturally. However, the 20 of them were far from enough to surround and subdue 153 mages. A group of 28 armed villagers, led by Erhard the blacksmith, offered them assistance. This group was rounded out by a handful of 11 knights. These 59 people dispersed themselves into the crowd.

Most villagers went to binding the hands of mages still down for the count. Erhard, joined by a few villagers with combat experience, helped the knights and adventurers handle the 34 conscious mages. A few fights broke out in patches, but only between knights and mages. When it came to the adventurers, fear had persuaded them to cooperate peacefully. They were associated with one of the heroes, after all. This was an insult to the knights, but it was not as if they didn't understand.

Everyone knew their lives had forever changed. Legendary heroes leaving the corpses of their royal rulers to clean up has that effect on people. Lost without leadership, the villagers naturally looked to the knights next for what was to happen. They were the closest authority associated with the now deceased king, and the queen was still out of country. It was here that a heated argument broke out between Kazuma's party and the royal knights.

The knights argued that they still acted on behalf of the queens authority, and because of that, they should now be the interim rulers who call the shots until she returns. Though they said this, it was an open secret that the king and Malty still had people loyal to them. Trust was not easy to hand out under these circumstances.

It was Ritsuka who argued that, as Second-in-Command of Kazuma's party, she was the only one who had even a semblance of influence among the three heroes. Although she said this, she didn't actually think she could change Hajime or Killua's mind about anything, and it was obvious Kazuma wouldn't have the ability to convince them either. Fortunately, her argument was effective in persuading who the townsfolk would support. And that was what mattered most.

To maintain diplomacy, Ritsuka promised to hold council with knights she believed truly held the queen's interests at heart, without ulterior motives. This way, she proposed, she could balance the demands of the heroes and the Queen's wishes. All the while giving order to the leaderless public of Melromarc.

There were two important things Ritsuka had come to understand through the impromptu trial, and execution, of the king and the princess. First, the three heroes, particularly Hajime, are an unstoppable entity of their own and are allied to no one. Second, the rest of the world is on the verge of hating Melromarc, and their country may be on the brink of extinction at the hands of war, should they be attacked en masse. Their only bargaining chip is now the very heroes not even _they_ could stop. In this sense, it was a stroke of luck that Hajime and Killua decided to make their home here.

A commotion began to build from the within the mages as more woke up. Without the time to cast spells, they were forced to fight back physically, hoping to buy time for more to come to consciousness and help overtake them. The knights pulled out their swords and the adventurers readied their weapons. This forced the mages into a standoff as they prepared for a desperate counter attack.

Then a hole opened in the wall. Everyone froze. Nobody knew which of the three heroes might walk out of it. It was to their absolute surprise when a nervous Beloukas timidly peaked his head out. As soon as he slipped through, the hole slammed shut. Adventurers and knights surrounded him, their weapons pointed at his throat.

"What were you doing in there?" Ritsuka demanded.

He gulped. "I…was…uh…" Beads of sweat pooled at his hairline, rolling down at random. He looked at the disciples around the place, then waved for Ritsuka to lean in. She did. Her eyes went wide when he whispered his answer into her ear.

[Inside the dome]

"Where did you get that sword?" Killua asked.

The pope grit his teeth before looking down. "It's an ancient weapon, like the one you three have." He answered truthfully, at least. One of many benefits a Slave Crest provides.

He knelt without resistance, his back to the edge of the crater gouged by his earlier attack. The three heroes he attempted to execute surrounded him in a semi-circle, blocking his path to the door. A sparse ray of sunlight faded feebly from the top of the dome's crest. It hardly reached them, but the tiny peak of light reflected on their irises. Green, Red and Blue. It was what stood out most prominently of them to the pope, the rest becoming barely visible with strained eyes.

To them, however, there wasn't a detail on him that remained unseen. They each had a skill or sharp enough sight to see in the dark. The pope tried to maintain an air of composure, keeping his face straight and undisturbed. He failed when Killua's fingers writhed, bones crackling, the faint sight of his hand transforming into veiny claws. Sapphire snake-eyes pierced the thick darkness, ominously fixated on him.

"Do you want to see what'll happen if you force me to keep asking questions?" The cold tone to his voice haunted the pope through his wretched soul.

He shook his head, rattling his glasses. "It's a replica of the Cardinal Weapons! It was forged centuries ago, as an attempt to create the ultimate weapon that can transform into each of yours!"

"Hm?" Hajime raised an eyebrow. "It can transform into each of our weapons?" He looked at the sword laying at his feet. He kicked it over to the pope. "Transform it into a bow. Don't do anything else with it."

The pope complied, both due to the Slave Crest, as well as a general fear. He lifted the golden sword and it shined like a searing bulb; quickly revealing Killua's razor-tipped fingers. He was thankful when the darkness concealed it once again. He now held a golden bow and arrow.

"Slide it over to Kazuma." Killua demanded.

Kazuma picked it up once it tapped his toes.

"There ya go!" Hajime pat his back.

"I get why you're giving it to me…but is having another one of these really gonna help?" He slung it over his shoulder, resting against his other bow. "I need both hands in order to use one in the first place…"

"Who knows?" Killua shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find something useful to make out of it. Having _two_ holy weapons can't hurt, right?"

"I got a few ideas. We'll talk later, though." Hajime stepped closer. The pope's breathing became audibly disturbed. He tried shifting backwards, to put distance between them, but his foot slid off the edge of the stable floor and thumped his shin against the ground. He heard tiny bits of stone roll and echo farther and farther away, trickling down to the center of the crater. The sounds _he_ would make if he fell back would be more violent, and yet it still wouldn't kill him. He was thus trapped. "Can we by-pass the restriction that forces us to only use our designated weapon?"

The thought of telling just a technical truth crossed his mind. For a fleeting moment. An ounce of spite still remained beneath his fear. Although the pope would have gladly become a martyr for his cause…Hajime and Killua made it clear they have no intentions of killing him. Hajime made it _very_ clear he would make him suffer as much as he needed. And Pope Balmus wasn't so honorable of a man to endure torture to abide by his corrupt beliefs.

"N-n-n-n…" He stuttered frightfully before spewing a coherent sentence. "No...b-but, you aren't limited specifically to the exact weapon you summoned…did you know that?"

"No." Red eyes floated in the dark, glaring at him, remaining stern. "What does that mean?"

The pope's face regained its warmth, relieved he could appease them with information they didn't know yet. "You're weapons can take on the form and quality of any respective weapon of the same type that you touch. Like that shield of yours he used earlier!" He cocked his head toward Killua. "You don't need to hold onto it for him! H-h-he can transform his shield into a perfect copy now that he's made contact with it!"

Killua's eyebrows raised curiously. He looked at the shield fastened to his arm. _'So these weapons function primarily in response to thought signals...' _He imagined the shield that Hajime let him borrow earlier. He remembered its texture as he held it, its details he observed up close, the weight against his arm… "WHOA!" It then transformed into an exact copy, bringing those memories to life.

"What!?" Kazuma pointed excitedly at it. "That's awesome!"

Hajime looked subtly amused. _'Hehh? It's similar to my Duplicate Transmutation.'_

The pope continued. "A-a-and…to level up faster-"

"Ah, I don't really care about that." Hajime interrupted. "Is there anything else these weapons can do?

"Wait, wait! Hold on!" Kazuma waved his arm and flicked a spark of Tinder to get their attention. "I need to know how to level up as fast as possible! If there's anything beyond the standard method, I'm all ears!"

"Ah!" The pope turned to him. Kazuma felt wrong, having a man terrified for his life and unable to deny demands giving him his attention. His Foresight may not have had perfect night vision, but it provided enough of the sight to make him uncomfortable. "There are ways in which you can make your weapon stronger! For instance, past Bow Heroes have rumored that the rarity of a weapon will make it more powerful! This may be something to look into."

Kazuma looked at his bows. "Rare, huh?"

The pope suppressed an evil smile. _'To "help" them…I should probably mention this too.'_ "Actually, to answer both your questions, there are also means to…**exponentially** increase the power of your weapons attacks."

"Ohhh, really?" Kazuma was interested. "Sounds helpful…how so?"

The pope's solemn face perfectly masked the urge to grin with delightful deceit. "It's called the Curse Series. They are borne from intense feelings of anger and hatred, particularly to an enemy! If you find yourself ever feeling such a way…seize those feelings. They are a source of power. Those emotions are linked to your weapons. The energy that would be channeled forth from such…" The pope's eyes glazed over in awe. "Will be nothing short of _absolutely_ amazing."

The pope recoiled. Their faces changed just enough for him to make out in the terribly dim lighting. Kazuma was disgusted. Hajime was angry. Killua…was interested.

"That sounds cool!" He said, imagining what sorts of attacks his shield might pull off.

"Oi, Killua, that's a bad idea." Kazuma said.

"Are there dangerous repercussions to using this _Curse_ Series?" Hajime asked.

The mask and the hidden smile of the pope where both spear-headed by an honest look of regret and terror. His face paled yet again, going cold in his cheeks. He turned his head down and answered with a voice no higher than the squeak of a mouse. "Yes."

For a moment, the memory of Gon sacrificing his Nen to achieve total power flashed in his mind's eye. _'OK, nevermind…I'm not touching those.'_

Hajime sighed. "See, this is why we're asking questions first from veritable sources. Imagine the trouble we could've found ourselves in by acting blindly!"

The pope began sweating. "S-s-s-soooo….are there any other questions I can answer for you? Anything I can do for you? I _am_ the pope, so if you need me to speak on your behalf to everyone outside, I assure you, this Slave Crest won't be necessary…" He was honest; eager to please them in lieu of his attempt just now to lead them into using self-destructive powers.

"We don't need you to say anything." Hajime walked within kicking range. The pope became more aware than ever of the long fall behind him. "We made a big mess already in this nation, and the best thing we can do at the moment, is let the people figure out how corrupt you and the king were for _themselves,_ while we keep to _ourselves_. Once they realize that we were right about how deceitful and greedy you all are, and that all _we_ want to do is find a way home…they'll come around to not hating us. Now…" He knelt down, coming face to face. "I do have one last question…"

The pope could only make out Hajime's eyes. They were void of humanity, terrifying yet hypnotizing like bloody embers, brimming with the menace of a monster. He gulped, grimacing at the dryness of his mouth. His chest tightened around his pounding heart. Killua narrowed his gaze, watching intently, unconsciously bringing a hand up to his mouth.

He anxiously bit on his thumbnail, yet watched the pope bright eyed with anticipation. This question, and its ensuing answer, will determine how much trouble his sister will actually be in. _'I rented a week's worth of time at a hotel for us, and it's only been three days since I've been forced to come here…if I can be back in the next four days, at least…' _His eyes shook, his heart teetering delicately, uncertainty making it feel like a weight wobbling atop a needle. _'PLEASE! THIS GUY HAS TO KNOW SOME SECRET WAY BACK!'_

Hajime finally spoke. "Is there a way to return to our homes without defeating these waves?"

Pope Balmus' eyes went blank, pupils darting around aimlessly, searching the recesses of his brain for an answer. His mouth moved before his face settled on a concrete reply. "I'm sorry." His furrowed brows and strained voice gave away the rest before saying it. "I have…no idea." Slave Crest did nothing.

Killua's hand dropped, eyes going wide, losing their shine. _'No…' _His heart sunk to his stomach, making him feel sick._ 'Alluka!'_ This was his last hope. He'd been ignoring how desperately he hinged himself on this answer. He continued ignoring it. "Pope, do you know any methods to expedite how often these Waves occur?"

Kazuma's skin crawled. "Ah! Killua! I can't handle something like that-"

"How about the source of them? Is there a core we can attack to stop them all in one swoop?" Killua's voice became desperate, shaky. A dry throat and a growing pain in his chest made it worse. "Are there legends of how to supposedly remove them immediately? In fact, are there any rumors that Waves are an inside job of a cult, monster or the world's reaction against the wrongdoings of man?"

Kazuma's shoulders dropped, seeing how worried he was. "Killua…"

"I…I don't know!" The pope panicked as well, but out of fear for himself. "All I know is that you have to fight and defeat them as they come!"

Killua squeezed his fists, grit his teeth, and turned his face down until his hair covered his eyes. _'Just how long… am I…really going to be stuck in this world?' _A sharp pain at the top of his head, from a metal fist clunking him, snapped him out of his despair. "OI!" He grunted in pain, looking up at Hajime, teary eyes under a throbbing bump.

"You're worried about your sister, aren't you? The one you mentioned earlier?" Hajime's face was stern yet light-hearted.

Killua nodded, massaging the bump back into his skull. _'I forgot I mentioned her out loud when I nearly killed the king…' _

Hajime's expression didn't change. "Answer me honestly: Do you think she can survive for two months?"

"Huh?" He blinked.

"Listen, you can bet your ass I'm gonna try like hell to destroy these Waves the first time around…but if I've learned anything in that abyss I fell into…it's that you never get something _right_ the first time. Hell, my weapons and techniques were refined over the course of a thousand trials, errors and failures. But if we put our heads together, then after that first Wave, we're gonna have a damned good idea what to expect from them, and a whole month to prepare the most effective way to destroy them! So keeping our _hopes_ practical…I'd give it about 2, possibly 3 months in the _best_ case scenario within pragmatic margins. That's my theory, at least. I'll revise it when I get some new information. So until then…you think your sister can hold out?"

Killua's face stilled with surprise. Hajime's proposition seemed too good to be true. Until he processed the nuances of what he said. _Best case scenario_, _within pragmatic margins_. This brought Killua back to his senses, leaving him to find an honest answer to the question.

'_I left Alluka in a hotel room of a medium-sized city with our remaining food and money. She may be innocent, but she's not dumb. It's been three days since I came here, so as long as she hasn't panicked and went out in public where Nanika makes a request…' _Killua stopped his train of thought there. He straightened his back, drew in a deep breath through his nose, and closed his eyes with an exhale.

'_Don't forget. You told Nanika to never grant anyone else a wish again. She agreed to it. You don't have to worry about that.' _Killua opened his eyes, but focused inwards as he collected his thoughts. _'OK. Let me list my foremost worries. 1) Alluka running out of food, money, and thus losing a place to stay. 2) Her causing a scene or mentioning her last name that would draw my family's attention. 3) An accident, resulting in injury or death. _

_For point one, she has enough money to afford at least four more days at the hotel. I rented out a week's worth, and since three days have passed, that gives her a total of 8 days left at most. Though, she'll need to buy food, so that already shortens the extra days she has. But a city that size should have soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Volunteers in those establishments tend to be genuinely charitable, and it'd be the most likely place that the hotel staff would recommend she go if she explains her situation. So if she finds herself at a shelter, since she's just a child, they may offer means to help her, possibly give her easy, under-the-table jobs, even if it's just to make at least little ends meet. They might even offer her a place to stay too. So the means for her to last, even if it's on scraps, are there. It'll be difficult, but not impossible. _

_For point two, I think I have less to worry about. With everything we went through together just to escape the mansion, she should understand the potential dangers of drawing too much attention to herself, or mentioning our family name to strangers. So then point three…'_ He shook his head. _'That's at the mercy of luck. I can't control that. All I can do is keep it out of my mind, and trust she'll be careful. Worrying about it won't do any good.'_

He recognized every jump in logic, wishful thinking and downplayed negatives his thoughts were plagued with…but he had no choice. He could either have faith in his sister, or wallow on the edge of panic. If he was to keep a straight mind for the next two months, so he could operate as efficiently as possible against this world, then there was only one thing he could do on his end. He looked up at Hajime, feigning confidence with a strained grin. "Yeah. She's _my_ sister, after all. She'll be OK until I get back!" The words felt hollow. He ignored it.

Hajime noticed but grinned anyway, nodding at him. He then grabbed the pope by his collar. "Alright, we're done with you for now!" He dragged him across the floor. The pope knew he was being pulled away from the crater, which made him happy. What he couldn't see, however, is he was being dragged towards a stone vault. It was transmuted to resemble a concrete-fortified broom closet. "In you go!" He tossed the pope and shut him in. The tiny bit of light the dome had was sealed away, locking the pope in total, ink-black darkness. The door wouldn't budge unless one had the Mana output to open it. Which only a monster from Tortus would have.

Kazuma squinted his eyes uneasily. His judgmental stare narrowed as Hajime returned. He never cared. This caused Kazuma to stare harder as they walked to the exit. They pushed through the doors, sunlight slamming over and around them, reminding them of its existence with a blinding flash. Slowly, the mosaic patterns embedded in the floor, the intricate masonry etched into the walls, and the high arches that dwarfed their sense of size assaulted their intake of sunlit details.

Their eyes fully adjusted by the time they made it down the hallway. A makeshift swimming pool came into view, steam rising from the herb-diluted water. It was as close to a hot spring as they could get. Kazuma and Killua were about to sprint to it when they felt Hajime's hands grab their shoulders.

"Hold it! We got something to decide on… See, we're gonna have to update everyone outside about three things: One, the pope is alive and well. Actually, scratch off _well_, but he's alive, so it's not like we killed another person."

"We?" Kazuma snorted.

"Two, unlike the church, we're not gonna take over their country, and unlike the king, we're not gonna lie to them about our intentions. And three, we're open to communication and trade. So who wants to let them know? Cuz _I_ can't. I just killed their royalty. They're probably all still scared of me."

Killua crossed his arms. "Well _I_ can't, they hate me. Shield Hero _here_, remember?"

Kazuma's brow twitched. "Well, I just heard TWO GOOD REASONS why it should be BOTH OF YOU doing it!" He pointed at Killua. "This is your chance to gain their trust!" He pointed at Hajime. "And your chance to show them you're not an unreasonable psychopath!" Then his expression fell. "Also, I'm not sure how seriously they take me…"

Hajime sighed. "How should we decide this?"

"Let's keep it fair." Killua made a fist and slapped it into his palm. "Let's decide through rock-paper-scissors!"

"Ohh? Sure!" Hajime agreed. "Best two outta three wins!"

As they smiled at each other, an excruciating pressure thickened the air. Killua focused his visual acuity to its utmost sharpest degree, so he could determine what his two opponents would choose and counter it in that split second. Hajime took it a step further and activated Riftwalk, heightening all his senses and slowing down his perception of time to achieve the same feat.

'_Sorry Kazuma.'_

'_Sorry Kazuma!'_

They formed an unspoken agreement. One of them will intentionally lose to the other, fooling Kazuma into thinking it was by chance, then use their superhuman senses to beat him. Wash, rinse, repeat until Kazuma has no choice but to be the awkward bearer of news.

However…

A great presence began to emanate at their side. It took them by surprise. It was foreign, new, one they had never felt before. An enormous power that threatened their status as superiors, making their concrete foundation of confidence as fragile as glass. No, even softer; like jelly. Hajime and Killua turned to the source, slow and timid like cautious animals. There stood Kazuma, fist resting in palm, and a face solid with conviction. A strange aura of unbeatable energy flowed off the edges of his body. He drew in a deep breath, relaxed in his unshaking certainty.

"I've never lost a game of rock-paper-scissors in my life." His voice rung with an unusual depth. "Bring it."

After 44 rounds, 44 of which Kazuma remained undefeated…Killua switched sides and Hajime was thus designated the news-sender.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The makeshift hot-springs pool was composed of module stone segments that plugged into each other. Metal poles, acting as heating rods, were drilled through certain blocks to evenly heat the pool. Their bases, beneath the tub lifted by six axles with wheels, was molded into a small hearth that held chunks of Flamrock, an ore from the Orcus Dungeon. Hajime gathered water from a nearby lake and drove it back with Brise, his hummer.

While doing so, he picked up Beloukas and pinned Kazuma's letter above the unconscious disciples. They interrogated the pope as it warmed, and after a terribly one-sided game of rock-paper-scissors, it was ready to be broken into. Kazuma marched with a smug gait toward the hot-spring pool. Two distinct glares of disbelief and defeat empowered him like he'd never felt before.

"Welp, idunno about you guys, but I'm feelin' great!" Overwhelmed by pride, he disrobed, startling Hajime and Killua with the unforgiving sight of his naked ass. "The best way to celebrate my victory over you two!"

He sprinted to the fresh hot-springs pool, leaping over its sides, landing in an ungraceful splash. Hajime used Supersonic Step and Air Dance to jump to a mid-air foothold above it. He cannonballed inside. Killua back-flipped right out of his clothes and twirled into the water.

They each claimed a respective corner to sit against, relaxing with outspread arms, closed eyes and heads tilted back. Water sloshed with soft, tranquil splashes against the pool wall. The soothing water, warmed until the last inch of chill had been snuffed, was complimented with a creamy sunlight painting their surroundings like a luscious coating of honey. Fresh leaves and ripe stems, seeping vibrant oils into the water, produced smells as invigorating as morning in a rain forest. The gentle streaks of wispy steam carried with it their pleasant scents, cleansing the lungs.

"You guys were right." Killua said. "I needed this."

Incoherent moans of agreement sounded out. Then the tranquil sloshing continued, the three relaxing silently. Until Kazuma sat up.

"Hey…I just thought of something."

"What's up?" Hajime didn't bother moving.

"You and I…we're Isekai Veterans. But this is Killua's first time being transported to another world."

"It sucks." Killua said. _'So that's what that word means…must be some nerd lingo.'_

"That means you should be calling us Senpai." They could hear the smile in his voice. "We'll teach you how to avoid becoming a cliché Isekai Protagonist!"

Killua lifted his head. "I am _not_ calling either of you Senpai."

"Oi Killua!" Hajime lifted his head finally. "That's no way to speak to your Senpai!"

Kazuma started laughing. Killua sparked a gentle buzz of Lightning Palm underwater.

"OUCH!" Kazuma jumped from the sudden zap. The other two laughed. He sunk back down, letting his body float comfortably, head propped against the corner. He felt as if his burdens were sliding gently off of him.

"Hey Kazuma, Hajime and I were talking earlier about our worlds and comparing them. What's yours like?"

"Did you finally remember the name of your town?" Hajime asked, reminding Kazuma that when they first met, he forgot it.

"YES! I DID!" Kazuma glared defensively. "It's Axel! And…" His face stiffened, eyes widened, nostrils flared. "And…" A flood of frustrating memories assaulted his mind without mercy. Something inside of him snapped. He stood straight and stiff, his body cutting through the water, and ripped his wet hands out to grab his head.

"HOLY SHIT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" A bold statement to make to two victims of physical and mental trauma. "WHERE DO I START? Ah, let's see, I'll start off with the God of that world…"

Hajime's face became stern. He knew how troublesome a god of a world could be. _'This…might actually be pretty serious…' _He prepared himself to see Kazuma in a whole new light.

"She's a useless idiot! A lazy drunk who has the magical ability to incur debt without trying, and manages to find a way to whine and blame everyone else for it!"

Hajime blinked in surprise.

"Let's see, who's next…AH! Then there's this mage capable of explosion magic that rivals a nuclear bomb!"

"Oh?" Killua's eyes grew cold, resting his chin in meshed fingers. _'I heard Netero was forced to use a nuke to beat the Chimera Ant King. If Kazuma knows someone liberally capable of that power…__they might actually hold__ some decent military influence in his world. __So is this mage superior of his? They must be unbearably arrogant...__' _He prepared to reevaluate his opinion of Kazuma.

"It'd be amazing, that's for sure…if it wasn't the ONE FUCKING THING SHE CAN DO!" He flexed his fingers with frustration. "No other form of magic, no combat abilities, no NOTHING! She obsessively _has_ to set off A SINGLE EXPLOSION EVERYDAY! And _only __**one**_ because that's all she can do..." Something in his eyes died, taking with it the strength in his voice. "And then she's out of commission. Plop, she goes. Limp as a newborn baby. After that, she's nothing but dead weight to drag around…"

Killua blinked in surprise.

Then he and Hajime threw their heads back, crying with laughter. Hajime's robotic arm pounded into the edge of the pool, smashing deeper and deeper, helpless to stop. Killua sank into the water, holding his gut tightly, his muffled laughter still sounding through the torrent of bubbles. Kazuma wasn't done.

"You think that's bad? There's more!"

Killua emerged, only to laugh harder.

"Wait...Kazuma…Stop!" He huffed between each word. "I'M GONNA DIE!"

Hajime was heaving unintelligibly, too breathless to reply.

"I'm telling you guys…It. **Gets**. _**Worse**_." Shadows cast over his eyes. "This one's a real fucking keeper. She's a crusader, okay? So…you'd assume that'd mean I finally have someone useful in my party…" Kazuma looked up at the stained-glass window, a tear sparkling in the corner of his eye. "But she can't hit a thing. You put a wet, immobile target in front of her, and she'd make a good blow-dryer with her sword. _Unintentionally_. But you can't tell her she sucks! You can't berate her for anything she does! She couldn't even accept my REJECTION when she first tried to join my party!"

"Why?" Killua asked, cheeks wet from more than just pool water. "Is she too arrogant to accept how useless she is?"

"No…that's not it…" Kazuma looked at Killua with genuine hopelessness. He sounded as if he was about to cry. "She _enjoys_ it."

"What?" Killua shook his head, not quite understanding.

"She enjoys it. No… enjoy isn't a strong enough word…" His eyes grew wide and glimmered with tears. "She's _turned on_ by it."

Killua was at a loss for words. He tilted his head and blinked a few times, wrapping his mind around Kazuma's statement. _'So she's…sexually excited…when he…'_ Slowly, ever so. _'When he…'_ A big grin dug back into his cheeks… _'When he…!'_ And an uncontrollable cackle flew out with every volume of breath his lungs could expend. "NO FUCKING WAY! SHE'S ACTUALLY _TURNED ON_ BY YOUR ABUSE?!"

"SHE'S A MASOCHIST! 100% CERTIFIED!" Kazuma grabbed Killua by his shoulders, holding him up from keeling over in laughter, trying to pour his heart out. "You don't understand! When she first came up to me, I flat out told her no. No hesitation. By this point, I had the Goddess of Debt and One Boom Girl stuck to me…so her very presence set off an alarm in my head. Like, a blaring horn riling my every instinct to scream NO. But the _more_ I rejected her, the _more_ I told her to get lost…SHE WOULD JUST-"

"Pant excitedly?" Hajime's soft voice, weak with defeat, interrupted Kazuma, just barely audible. Killua and Kazuma turned to him, seeing a shadow cast over his eye too. He looked up at Kazuma. A soft expression released all tension from his face. "Leaving you at a loss for how to handle her? Cuz if you try to give a compliment, she'll take it to heart…but if you try to drive her away…she'll beg you to do it harder." His eye had a particular look to it, the look one has like when a long-lost soul mate is finally found.

Kazuma felt a weight lift off his shoulders. A warmth, reminiscent of a hearths fire during a winter storm, or the embrace of a loving mother in a world gone cold, shone in his eyes. "You…you _understand_?" The air around him glowed. "You _know_?"

"Oh, I do." Hajime reached out, putting his hand on Kazuma's shoulder. "No matter how much you insult her…"

Kazuma put a hand on Hajime's shoulder. "No matter how much you push her away…"

Hajime reciprocated a smile as warm as his. "No matter how much you punish her…"

They both grit their teeth. The warmth in their eyes flared up to a burning rage with flashes of insanity.

"SHE JUST WRITHES IN PLEASURE!"

"SHE JUST WRITHES IN PLEASURE!"

They then gripped their hair in tight fists, yanking on it, violently whipping their heads in pent up frustration.

"It's so FUCKING ANNOYING!" Kazuma's scream rippled into the hot spring water.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME!" Hajime smashed his fist into it. "I just…don't know how to stop it!" His eye went wide, a hopeless confusion prying his lids back into its socket.

"You can't!" Kazuma's eyes shook as if a chasm of all things horrifying opened before him. "It's like…it's not even counter-intuitive. You're just stuck! Hell, I've tied her to the back of a moving carriage and she loved it!"

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir here! I shoved a pile bunker up her ass!"

Killua watched the two of them with disgust. "What the _fuck_ is wrong with people in your worlds?"

"I DON'T KNOW." Kazuma shouted. "You don't know this pain, so consider yourself lucky!"

"I do." He glared at him, then focused on Hajime. "Don't tell me the rest of your party is as nuts as his…"

"Nah, nah!" Hajime waved the thought away. "Everyone else is…" He paused to think. "…Relatively normal." _'I don't even know what normal __**is**__ anymore.'_ "Besides the pervert dragon, I have a rabbit with super strength, a human healer, a dagon child and a vampire with overpowered magic."

"Lucky…" Kazuma sighed.

"Eh? Sounds like you got a pretty decent group with you." Killua said. "Y'know…besides that pervert dragon."

Hajime chuckled. "Well…it's not like she's entirely useless. Just annoying, really. Though so is the rabbit…but she's getting better too."

"Yeah, my party has their moments too. None of them are bad people at least, so I can count on them when the chips are down." Kazuma sat back in his corner with a splash. _'They're a hell of a lot better than people in __**this**__ world, that's for sure!'_

"But enough about us, how about you? You got a group? You mentioned something about a friend of yours…" Hajime was quick to bring focus to the friend he mentioned…and away from his sister.

"Hmm, well, not a party, but I got a decent trio of friends. One of them is aiming to be a doctor. He's kind of a perv, though. Once, he intentionally lost a bet on whether an _obvious_ girl was actually a guy or not because it meant he could feel her up."

Kazuma narrowed his eyes. _'Oi…he sounds like my kinda guy.'_

"The other guys pretty cool. Hell, he might be even smarter than me." Killua put his hands behind his head, feeling a touch of his pride drift away at his admission. "Poor guy got his clan slaughtered, and now he's out to kill the gang of criminals that did it."

Hajime raised an eyebrow. "Well damn, he _must_ be something if you're saying he's that smart. But, soo..." He tapped his finger. "…between him and Dr. Kazuma…I'm gonna assume it's the third one that made you hold back from killing the king yourself?"

Killua laughed. "Yeah!" His eyes gleamed with pride. "His name was Gon. Dude was something else, lemme tell ya! Head strong but impulsive. Kind and passionate, but not the dude you'd want angry at you. He's clever at times, but my god is he fucking stubborn!"

Killua leaned forward, smiling, creating waves throughout the pool as he reminisced about Gon. "We met while I ran away from home. When I was tricked to come back by my brother, the three of them all came so Gon could demand to see me once more. Now, on my family's property, we have a butler that acts as a guard, beating the living shit outta anyone that tries to cross her. But he didn't want to fight her cuz I was his friend, and he believed he shouldn't have to fight to see me. So to make a point, he never fought back! He walked right up to her, got thrown back with a bash to the face, and limped back to her repeatedly like he was one of those masochists in your party, until he was finally able to pass!"

"I would've shot her." Hajime said.

"I would've drop kicked her while she was distracted." Kazuma said.

"Of course you guys would have!" Killua laughed, having fun thinking back. "It's a running theme with him. I've lost track of the amount of stronger opponents he's picked fights with. From a professional ninja, a combat-addict, a serial killer…hell, for that last one, our Nen-mentor and I concocted a plan for each of us to follow through, and all he had to do was let the dude get overconfident and lead him into a trap. So what does he do?"

Killua shook his head, smiling all the while. "He gets pissed cuz he's not strong enough to make him use his infamous killer ability…so he fights a losing battle until he finally gets him to use it. He got his fucking hand blown off of him in the process, but he landed a damned good hit on him too! And for him…it was worth it."

If it was anyone else besides Killua explaining these feats, Hajime and Kazuma would have brushed it off. But they knew who Killua was. They knew _what_ he was. Hajime, personally, had seen the full extent of his capabilities, and they were nothing to scoff at. So if Killua was speaking highly of someone, then neither of them could deny a second-hand astonishment at the sound of this kid.

"But…He was the first person I met who could see past so many layers I've put over myself. No one could tell if I was serious or not. No one knew how dangerous I actually was. No one…was brave enough to remain with me when they _did_ find out what I was. But he was different. He saw through all of that. He saw something…better in me." Killua smiled, softening his face. "And since then, I've always wanted to be better. So I could take pride in being his best friend! So when I saw that killing people wasn't something he agreed with…yeah. It changed me forever. The first light to my world of darkness, you could say."

Hajime smiled, letting it linger as he closed his eyes and turned his face up. "Ah, man." He drew in a deep breath, cleansing his lungs, and hummed happily as he exhaled it. "It's interesting to see how similar we are, yet so different. Out of all the people in my party, the most important one to me is named Yue."

"Is that the pervert dragon?" Kazuma asked, ruining the moment.

"NO!" He whipped his head back down, face rigid. "She's the vampire!" He shook his head, relaxing himself. "Anyway, I met her in the lower levels of the Orcus Dungeon. She was the light to my darkness, as you put it. She's right by side when it comes to how I handle enemies. She suffered a betrayal similar to mine, after all. So in that regard, she has no qualms about me killing…But…"

Hajime looked down, his eye darkening, as if frightened by something within himself. "If I hadn't met her down there…honestly…I'd be nothing but a remorseless mass murderer by now." His voice carried with it a gratitude emphasizing how close he remembered he felt to losing himself. "She helped retain at least a tiny part of my old self, kept me from becoming an irreparable, irreversible evil."

"Hey, well I'm glad to hear that man! For the both of you!" Kazuma said, a big cheesy grin across his face. "Got yourself some good friends to keep you psycho's in check!"

"_Best friend_, to be exact." Killua corrected with a smile.

Hajime did the same. "_Wife_ for me, to be exact."

Kazuma's body froze, eyes bulging, stuck on Hajime. He forgot the entire conversation up to that sentence. "Um…I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Did you say…wife?" His voice cracked.

"Yea." Hajime didn't understand what was hard to believe.

"Wife…as in…" Kazuma's eyes were still wide. "You're married?"

Hajime looked up. "Well, not officially yet, but in essence we are. I love her, and she loves me."

"Ah, ok. I see, I see." Kazuma's eyes flitted side to side. "And…that's it?"

Hajime tilted his head. "We fuck every night too, if that's what you're trying to ask?"

"**WHAT?!**" Kazuma hacked the air out from his lungs in a loud, violent cough. His eyes shook with despair. An overwhelming jealousy corroded all positive feelings built up prior to this moment.

Hajime smirked. "Hehhh? Kazuma, _Kazuma_…" He shook his head with a shrug. "Don't tell me that someone like _you_ has yet to get laid in a new fantasy world? I can tell based on your clothes, you live in a medieval society…don't they have brothels?"

Kazuma thought back to the night he tried hiring a succubus. He shut out how badly his attempt failed. "It…uh…hasn't been easy."

"What? You can't move past panties or something?" Hajime trolled with a smug grin.

"NO!" Kazuma slammed his fist into the water, not reacting to the splash against his face.

"Oi, Oi, Kazuma...you got three girls surrounding you, and you're still a virgin? You know what that makes you, right?" Hajime got close and leaned into his face. "A _cliché_ isekai protagonist."

"HEY!" He pushed Hajime's face back with a finger to his forehead. "I am NOT cliché! I'll have you know that the moment the opportunity ever presents itself, I won't be some dense idiot who has to confirm every obvious hint being thrown at him!"

"So the opportunity has never presented itself, then?" Hajime was leaning back, Kazuma's finger still pressing into his forehead, yet grinning ear to ear.

"IT GETS RUINED EVERY TIME!" He yelled out, head turned up at the ceiling, unleashing his despair unto the heavens.

"I don't see what the big deal is, honestly." Killua was sat in his corner, soaking up the warm water with closed eyes. "There are plenty of things in life to enjoy. Personally, I'd rather be with people whom I enjoy the company of, rather than indulging mindlessly in physical pleasure, void of emotional connections. So friendships, to me, are more important. If I happen to fall in love someday, it'll be with someone whom I was probably friends with first. Plus, there are still tons of things I still want to experience. Sex isn't very high on my list because of that."

"Killua…" Kazuma looked at him, not knowing how to react. He then smiled, even chuckling to himself. "I'm proud of you, man!" He gave a thumbs up. "Glad you could be the mature voice here, I needed that!"

"Oi, Kazuma!" Hajime pulled him out from the lie he was trying to convince himself. He pointed at Killua. "He doesn't count! _He_ had a fucked up childhood. Anything that doesn't have to do with being poisoned, tortured or killing people is an upgrade for him! But you and I? We were just normal people growing up…" He shook his head. "**NO**…We were worse than normal people…" He spoke with unflinching seriousness. "We were _otaku losers_."

"Oi." Kazuma's eyes went wide, pupils narrowed.

"To us, the flesh of a three-dimensional girl was an unobtainable treasure. An alien feeling, eternally out of reach from our finger tips. Not even the deepest of dreams could recreate the hypothetical experience of laying but a mere fraction of our hand upon their supple bodies." Hajime clenched his fist, tucking his arm in at his side. "BUT I HAD TRANSCENDED THOSE CHAINS OF WOMANLESSNESS!"

He embellished his voice and exaggerated his movements, all the while straining his cheeks to keep from smiling. "Fitting of the weapon I don't use, I spearheaded the threshold that remained untouched by our kind! Ascending to the dimension of sexual experience, I reached the long-held dream that most otaku fail to ever realize! I. HAD. SEX! And there is no force, no fact, no GOD in any world, in any universe, in any dimension that will ever deter my success!" Hajime put his hands on his hips and held his chin up proudly, looking Kazuma in the eyes. "That includes beating me at rock-paper-scissors!"

"**HEY!**" Kazuma jabbed his finger toward him. "IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT? YOU'RE JUST SALTY I BEAT YOU ALL THOSE TIMES?!" He cut his hand through the water, sending it flying behind him. "WELL TAKE IT! TAKE ALL MY VICTORIES! I DON'T WANT THEM ANYMORE!"

"Hmm..." Hajiime fit his chin between his fingers in thought. He held out his human hand, weighing an invisible weight. "Win at every game of rock-paper-scissors…" He held out his robot hand, doing the same. "Bang my loli vampire waifu on a nightly basis…" He looked at Kazuma with a cheeky smile. "One seems to weigh more than the other."

"**Oi.**" Kazuma gave a deathly glare. "I _just_ started to like you. You want me to hate you?" He smashed his fist into his palm. "Cuz I'll hate you with _everything_ that I have!"

"Ohhh?" Hajime smirked, tilting his head down to give a half-menacing look. "Does that mean you'll be my _enemy_?"

Kazuma's face paled. "Urk!"

Killua started laughing. "KAZUMA!" He wiped tears off his cheeks. "THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE!"

His shock lasted for only another moment, before he relaxed his shoulders and blushed with an embarrassed smile. "I…I walked right into that one…" He laughed too.

Hajime was snickering as well, and for a minute, the vast, empty halls of the once Three Heroes Church flooded with hearty chuckles.

[Hours Later]

Sunlight only shined through church windows at its high noon peak. At any other position in the sky, the giant wall would block it. Even then, faint traces of daylight would still find their way to the inner parts of the wall, reflecting it. However, once nighttime hit, the wall was barely visible outside the windows. As if the whole world had been drowned in ink.

The night was especially dark. Clouds cut the moon off from the earth, sealing it blind in darkness. Hajime and Killua made effortless use of this never-ending blackness, soaring upon rooftops in absolute silence. They coordinated their positions merely through the awareness of each other's presence. They arrived at the remains of the castle, like two specters manifesting out of its ruins. Hajime used his Ore Perception to locate any precious metals they could scour from the dusty debris. Even if their fight had shredded them unrecognizable.

Tidbits were scattered throughout the remains, residing at various layers from the surface and below. No more than half an hour was necessary. Leather bags sagged over their shoulders with priceless loot once they had collected all things worthwhile. They snuck back without a trace. When they returned, they added their findings to similar valuables they gathered from around the church. They left the piles next to the hot-spring pool and cleaned themselves off. Killua yawned after drying himself.

"Ah man, I'm gonna knock out nice tonight!" He stretched his arm over his head.

"Yeah, same. Though I wish Yue was here. I've missed her when sleeping." A faint blush warmed his cheeks.

"I don't. Sounds like you two would keep us up." Killua grinned.

"Ohhh, that'd piss Kazuma off for sure!" Hajime chuckled. "Speaking of which, I hope he found us some good rooms."

Kazuma had been scouting out the living quarters of the disciples while they looted the ruins. He passed through several rooms, all which were more than acceptable to sleep in, but he had hopeful standards. He approached yet another set of oaken doors, but paused just before touching these. A faint scent, perfume-like in its pleasantness, froze him still, demanding his unhindered focus. The smell was feminine.

"And bingo was her fucking name-O!" He shoved the doors open, grandeur exploding in his face.

A majestic chandelier hung up and center, raining down dazzling sprays of light, split apart by dozens of decorative crystals. He ran to the wardrobe, uncaring of its intricate artistry. Nun habits were inside. He took one out and examined it as thoroughly as a forensic crime unit. After carefully inspecting the waist and bust of numerous habits, he determined the room's owner to be a fit woman of near-athletic build.

_'If I had to guess her age, I'd say she's between "Young, I've-never-done-this-before, Innocent" to "Ara Ara, come to Onee-san". Either of which I'm PERFECTLY fine with!' _

Naturally, this was the room he claimed for himself. Killua walked in shortly after, his assassin training easily pinpointing the sounds of perverted breathing.

"Of course you'd choose a room that belonged to some girl." The faint perfume and nun habits gave it away instantly.

"Yeah. I did." Kazuma admitted without shame, sitting cross-legged on her bed, burying his face into her pillow he hugged, looking Killua in the eyes as he sniffed it.

Killua didn't know how to react, stuck staring wide-eyed. He settled on chuckling awkwardly and ignoring it. He pulled out a chair, swung it around to sit backwards in it, resting his arms and chin along its backrest. His eyelids felt heavier as he relaxed. Hajime walked in, immediately shook his head with a smirk, and walked between them to the window sill. It creaked when he leaned against it.

"So, I've been wondering…" Kazuma made use of the attention on him. "What do you guys think Goblin Slayer is up to?"

"Is it really that hard to guess?" Killua asked back.

"OK, ok, good point…" He waved his hand to admonish the question. "But eventually he's gotta realize that there aren't any here. What do you think he'll do when that happens?"

"He'll probably do the same thing we're doing." Hajime looked out the window, into the dark. "Figure out the quickest way to get back home."

"You think he'll be okay on his own by then?" Kazuma's brow furrowed in concern. "He…doesn't seem to be _all there_, y'know?"

"Perhaps, but he honestly doesn't strike me as stupid. You remember the weapons and tools he laid out on that blanket the night Hajime fired a rifle out the window?" Killua felt like raising a finger, to emphasize his point, but his arms were too comfortable of a headrest to move. "The stuff he had was indicative of exceptionally thorough preparation. I doubt someone with that kind of caution and foresight is going to be strung out helplessly in this world."

"Hmm, didn't think about that." Kazuma stretched his arm up while yawning.

"He strikes me as the no-bullshit, straight-to-the-point type. He knows what his enemy is and prioritizes the shit outta them." Hajime said, covering his mouth to stifle his own yawn. "I'm actually curious to see him in action, though. It's easy to underestimate someone like him, but I know a dangerous man when I see one."

"Guess that does make sense." Kazuma blinked a few times rapidly. "Uh…wait…" Talking about their last night with Goblin Slayer reminded him of something important. The memory of the last time they saw him. He walked out in the middle of the adventurer assigning. Then so did Hajime and Killua. And immediately after that…Kazuma was given financial aid from the king. Which he no longer had.

It was with his party, being used to compensate the functions of a broken government. And neither of the other two accepted theirs. He turned with a wry smile. "Sooo, Hajime…when do you plan on delivering the news to everyone? Particularly about being open for trade or something? Cuz as of now…we're broke as shit!"

"I'll do it tomorrow." Hajime shrugged, turning back to them.

"OK, ok…" Kazuma nodded to himself. "But, um… then what?"

Hajime shrugged again. "I'll figure it out tomorrow."

"Oi…" Kazuma squinted at him. "…do you plan on scaring them into some sort of deal?"

Hajime eyed him, frankly surprised. "No…? We're at a point where that sort of thing would backfire more than help."

"Huh?" Kazuma tilted his head. "Backfire?"

"Think about it like this, Kazuma." Killua spoke. "If all we do is bully and terrorize our way through this world…we'd have to live every moment here watching our backs. We _could_ constantly fight off everyone, but it simply isn't a smart idea to give the _whole_ world a reason to collectively hate, come together and destroy us. We've definitely made enemies already, so let's not give neutral people a reason to join them. Plus, our ultimate goal is to stop the Waves so we can leave. The most effective approach would require the willful cooperation from as many people as we can get, not bullied victims of a terrified population."

"He's exactly right." Hajime nodded. "And for those reasons, we should strive for a positive give-and-take relationship. And the stronger the sense of trust, the better."

"…And that's why you looted the remains of the castle? Because it's something that trustworthy people do?" Kazuma smirked.

Hajime returned it. "You know, if we melt the precious metals into their raw forms and re-mold them into coins and bars, we'll basically have our own currency. And gold is gold, no matter what form you trade it in."

"But won't they know we stole it from the king and the church?" Killua said, exhaustion intermittently slurring his words. "We didn't get paid for any adventures, we rejected the king's financial aid, and now we suddenly come out with new money they've never seen before? Someone smart will piece it together, and that'll give our enemies a fact to embellish a damaging narrative out of. We'll be perceived by the general public as murderous thieves at that rate."

Hajime thought to himself. After a few seconds, he found himself unable to effectively refute Killua's point. The townsfolk would most likely interpret the action as being bribed with desecrated goods and blood money.

"Well then, what if we traded these new coins for goods and stuff under the table with people who won't care?" Kazuma asked, nestling his head into the pillow he hugged, yawning longer this time. "If we sell them in this worlds equivalents of pawnshops, or hell, even to the nobles...basically, people who are too greedy and underhanded to give a crap what the sources were… we can get legal money to use while wiping our hands clean of this stuff."

"That's actually not a bad idea!" Hajime rested his head against the wall, resting his back against the glass. "I especially like the idea of appealing to nobles, though. It'd be easier to work out favorable deals with individuals and keep a low profile."

"AH!" The mention of nobles sparked a brilliant idea in Killua's head. His exhaustion momentarily vanished and his body jolted upright. A thought had been streaming through his mind like a current, but a flash as dazzling as a slot-machine's jackpot painted a vivid picture. "A FUCKING CASINO!" He yelled suddenly, confusing the other two in the room.

Kazuma raised an uneasy brow. "Dude, what are you talking abou-"

"HAJIME!" He interrupted. "Do you think you could transmute a slot machine?!"

He cocked his head back. "…Probably? I'd have to run a ton of trial and errors to get a working randomizing motor…though I can't say it's impossible. But why the hell would we build a casino? If were gonna bring things from our worlds into here, it'd be easier to re-create something simple to build and sell en masse."

"Like a kotatsu!" Kazuma said, reminiscing of Vanir's kotatsu prototype that he got to enjoy for a brief while. His eyelids felt heavier at the memory.

"He he he!" Killua waved his finger at them. "I don't think you guys see the bigger picture here. No matter what gambling systems they may have in this world already, people back in ours had paid stupid money to continuously pull a stick out of hope. So, we melt the precious metals into coins, toss in a few rubies and crystals to boot, and make those the slot-machine prizes. We market the casino to the nobles and let the first few who come in win easily a few times. Like an investment in the potential profit. Let the word spread, and before you know it, we'll be clean of the loot-made currency as it'll be replaced by legal tender in both in our hands as well as the slot machines. At that point, we'll make the winning chances rarer as nobles from across the country, hell, maybe even abroad, come to pay money for a chance to win tons of gold, silver and jewels at the pull of a lever!

"We'll charge an entrance fee to keep the general public out, which should also flatter the sense of elitism for the nobles. Add that to all the money they'll spend on slot machines and we'll keep it as the house cut. Then we'll give a percentage to Ritsuka to keep the government going, letting the townsfolk know that we're keeping their wellbeing in mind…and everyone will be happy while we get richer than the king could have ever made us!"

"Hey…actually…" Kazuma perked up, feeling less tired and more excited. "If we do that…we won't have to break our backs to constantly make products, or force Hajime into one-man slave labor. We won't have to outsource production for anything either, so other people can't copy us and make the product we've invented worthless, which means we'd hold an absolute monopoly on the casino experience. We also won't have to travel far and wide to sell stuff. They'd be coming right here, and all we'd have to do is sit back and literally watch the money roll in!"

Hajime stepped forward. "And as the money rolls in, we could recycle the excess of coins we'd eventually have and put it right back into the slot machines. Keep the prizes abundant for those nobles! Shit, not only that, but once we have the money for it, we can add some entertaining luxuries like you'd see in Las Vegas in America! That'd definitely pull noble customers from out the country as well!"

"I don't know what Las Vegas or America are, but you're right! And there's one more immense benefit that comes with this!" Killua raised a finger with a proud smile. "Our continued presence here will act as an authority to curb uprisings against Kazuma's party, and quell civil unrest. That'll be our first step to establishing trust, showing we won't abandon them for social instability. So what that means for you…" He looked at Kazuma. "Is you can keep tabs with your party and level up with them. And as for you…" He looked at Hajime. "You won't have to leave behind your giant wall, hot spring and pope prison!"

Hajime laughed. "C'mon! All three of those things are disposable! But what I _would_ like to do is make use of all that space in the dome. I have a lot of inventions I need to try transmuting, and a personal workspace I can keep prying eyes and sticky hands out of would be great."

The more they discussed, the more concrete the idea had solidified, and neither of these three were the type to sit back and just dream about it. They gathered in a circle on the floor, under the chandeliers light. Hajime started transmuting intermeshing gears based on technology they each could recall the designs for. By channeling Mana into it, they would move. But the objective was to get it to spin three separate sections and stop them at random. Together, they experimented, tweaked and trialed various combinations. The end goal was to build a mini-slot machine as a prototype.

Killua was the first to start nodding off. With the idea out his mind, the exhaustion from his fight settled back into his muscles. The last thing he saw was Hajime and Kazuma pointing at impromptu blue prints, while a supple chunk of stone fluctuated between shapes. _'That looks…' _He blinked slowly. _'…so…cool.'_ His eyes closed once more, refusing to open again, and not even the fall backwards could do it.

The other two noticed he fell asleep but were too absorbed to acknowledge it. It wasn't until they managed to get a functioning series of connected gears that Kazuma's fatigue set in. A day spent stopping a giant fight, taking part in a nation-changing trial and proceeding to fear deeply for his life had done a number on his energy reserves. He wasn't sure when, but at some point, Hajime was no longer talking with him, but rather, to himself. _'Maybe…he's always talking to himself…and just responds when we pitch in…' _He blinked slowly._ 'Wait, that's dumb.' _The last thing Kazuma saw was Hajime's unflinching fixation on his project. He plopped against the bed, the sultry comforter rubbing his cheek, soothing him into a deep sleep.

Hajime began reaching into his Treasure Trove for different ores to make various parts with. He tried and failed and tried again, to the point it breached an obsession. Yet, every successive change, no matter how small, inched him closer and closer to success. He wasn't even thinking of the money this machine would bring in, let alone the casino itself. His mind, body and soul united as a single force to accomplish this one goal, and his heart would fail to ever come to rest until it was done.

The inner sides of the wall came faintly into view. The sun had risen. Kazuma and Killua had moved unconsciously in their spots to assume more comfortable positions. They were startled out of their slumber when a baggy-eyed Hajime shouted.

"WOOO! JACKPOT!"

They responded with sluggish movements, looking on with hazy visions. The sight stunned them out from their sleepy fogs like iced water to the face. It was no taller than a foot and it lacked any flashy lights that screamed ostentatious. Yet, the way Hajime pulled down a lever, eliciting three different combinations of shapes every time, was worth more than the audacious visuals. The world's first slot-machine had just been invented.

This was just one of many events set into motion. At this moment, a messenger was being escorted to the Queen of Melromarc to inform her of the situation in her own country. In the opposite direction, Goblin Slayer was bringing three liberated demi-human child slaves back to a country where their own kind reigns supreme. This world has been rife with internal struggles, and a series of catastrophic events were beginning to ripple outward into it, surely to mess with its predetermined events more. None of the four heroes could see what was to come, nor could the world foresee the consequences of forcibly summoning these mismatched protagonists.

_Author's Note: Hello again, meant to release this before the holidays but caught a cold, then traveled to a place with poor wifi for a week (of course), and now we're here. Anyway, sparing you all my life story, I'm basically gonna go on hiatus until February, so don't freak out if I don't post at all (ok, I might post a chapter…it'd be fitting cuz there's a few-weeks timeskip, so I'll probably drop like a montage chapter or something)._

_But I do want to make something absolutely clear, and you can quote me verbatim on this: I will finish this story. I will never abandon it. Its great practice, its fun to write, I know how I want to end it and I have a pretty good yet loose idea how I want to get there. I have started a dozen stories through my life that I've never finished. I refuse to let this one fall into that trap. So it's as much a promise to myself as it is to you all, that I will finish this story and that any break or hiatus I take is just that. A short break. I won't go Togashi on you guys lmao._

_So look forward to more bro moments, more plot derailment (as if there hasn't been enough lol), more of a mess, as well as some more intense moments (love those), some more dark moments (love those too), and eventually, some more fights. In fact, in the next few chapters when I come back, you'll get some of those ;) You think the isekai mess has risen? Nah… I got some ridiculous stuff planned lol. Hope you guys enjoy the ride!_


	19. Chapter 19

_Authors Note: Hello my lovelies, I'm back, and I have to give a heads up primarily to anime-only's, but it goes for others as well…_

_Having scoured pages of the wiki for RotSH, with the help of suggestions from a few readers, there are certain "setting spoilers" I've decided to integrate into the story, due to how well it happened to fit with the direction I want to take. By "setting spoiler", I'm referring to world-building elements to Shield Hero that we won't know about until, I assume at least, Naofumi sees them all for himself. This will include certain characters that don't appear until season 2 or 3 or even farther (based on questions from some readers…as for which characters, and how BIG of a role they'll play, I'm still determining). _

_I'll try to keep certain parts vague (while allowing source material readers to fill in the blank on their own) so not too much is given away. But fret not, cuz there are no direct "story spoilers" from Shield Hero itself. Like, if Naofumi loses all four of his limbs and has to strap his shield over his face, forcing Raphtalia to not only be his sword, but his eyes, arms and legs as well, while he develops a series of head-butt attacks or combo moves with Filo swinging him like a golf club….don't worry. I won't spoil that for you. Lol. Only certain parts of the world will be brought to light, based on my impression of them from reading the wiki…_

_Which leads to my heads up for source material people: Though I do my best to be consistent with canon (setting wise) where it applies (original stuff notwithstanding), I may not hit every nail directly on the head. Therefore, if there are any discrepancies that aren't exact…lets chalk it up to the Time Ripple Effect due to our four mismatched protagonists. And that's it for now! I'll keep my update schedule between 1-2 weeks as best as I can, and will let you all know if something comes up._

Chapter 19

**27 days until the Wave**

The sun rose on the fourth morning since the heroes summoning; same as always, careless of transpired events. Shadows etched themselves upon the town, stretching from rooftops to road ends. The shadow that should be most imposing of all, one that would enshroud the town whole as a reminder of power, was gone. The castle that cast it had been laid to absolute waste. The extra dose of sunlight was just one irregularity amongst the forced normalcy of the townsfolk. They found resuming life as it always had been was the least stressful coping mechanism.

This is why shopkeepers and homeowners boarding up holes in their walls, cleaning up wooden debris and broken belongings off the floor, treated it as minor inconveniences. Thinking of the human head that flew through to cause such damage would freeze them in horror, choking on lumps in their throat.

People more directly involved in their kingdoms transformation struggled to ignore and behave casually. Minds stuck on repeat, cementing fears for consequences from a hundred different angles, all bound to converge with them at the center, forced their dire reality at the forefront of constant thought. Many sought solace in the emptying of the mind, indulging in physical activity to occupy their worries.

Ritsuka coordinated a team where the castle once stood. Adventurers and knights shoveled dust and debris off the edges of the mountainous bluff. What was left was then scrubbed off with large brooms and wind magic. Artisan craftsmen drafted a blueprint for a bunker, tasked strictly for function, all aesthetics notwithstanding. They stressed that such could never rival the efficiency of the castle. She expected this, arguing that the strategic benefits of the location should not be wasted. The mountain was separated from the town, accessible only after passing guarded gates and bridges. It was an optimal base of operation. The estimated time to complete the barest of a habitable fort, however, was over a month.

This worried Ritsuka, watching the cleanup process with her thumb squeezed between her teeth. She turned to the town, enviously admiring the towering wall that cut the church off from their world. _'If only I could think of a way to get Hajime-sama to help, at the least, make a flat platform for us to build on…'_

Dozens of distinct sets of feet, either patting on dust or clacking metal on stone, had stopped. The scraping of shovels had stopped. Brooms brushing against the coarse ground stopped. Several disconnected conversations stopped. Dead silence swept the area like an onset of deafness. Ritsuka's eyes refocused from deep thought, her head turning the same direction all gazes had locked on. Her heart withheld its next beat. Hajime stood atop a pile of stones, his back to the sun. Shadows crept over his face, casting shadows down his cheeks like pitch black tears, as his creased brow hid his eyes from light. He looked menacing. Everyone dropped to a knee, bowing their heads. Ritsuka marched up before him and did the same.

"Hajime-sama!"

He drew in a deep breath. Ritsuka held hers, preparing for what was to come.

"I assume you're Ritsuka?" He sounded as if he'd just stifled a yawn.

She stood up straight and saluted him. "Yes! I am Ritsuka, second-in-command of the Bow Hero, Kazuma-sama's, party! Interim ruler of Melromarc until-"

"Yeah yeah, yeah. Look, I got a message I have to relay to the town, you mind gathering everyone up for me? It'll go smoother if you do it." He turned to her, revealing his features under the sunlight. The menace had vanished, opportuning itself to a new perspective.

'_He looks…'_ As if to confirm her thoughts, he blinked sluggishly while staring at her without focus. _'…exhausted.'_

Ritsuka blinked a few times herself, transitioning from confusion to educated guess, before nodding in acceptance. _'It must be a message he wishes to deliver himself…' _The clean-up crew stayed behind while several adventurers joined her and Hajime toward the town. His irritation grew.

'_Those assholes! I stayed up all night to get a working slot machine, and they forced me to relay my stupid message before going to sleep…while THEY went BACK to sleep!'_

Still, he stuck with Ritsuka along the way. Members of the Bow Hero's party, surrounding the Spear Hero, was a great way to draw attention and Hajime knew it. Ritsuka hopped atop a fountain in the town square and announced her presence. Even more people had stepped out homes, taverns and shops rather than watching from inside. When as much of the public had come out, Hajime took Ritsuka's place. The hushed mumble of whispers sprinkled around him, mouths hidden by shaky hands. Many of the nervous remarks were not lost on his sharp ears. He didn't care. He was tired and wanted to get this over with.

"Alright. One: The pope is alive, but were keeping him prisoner as punishment for trying to take over Melromarc. Two: We're not gonna take you guys over. All we want to do is stop the Waves and go home. Three: You are free to designate appointments with us to discuss trade deals as well as issues that you feel _absolutely needs_ our assistance, but for a fee. Any questions?"

Ritsuka's head perked up at the third point. The townsfolk, however, just stared blankly. His blunt summary was not what they expected.

"Hajime-sama, is that truly all you have to say?" Ristuka asked politely. "If there is something you are withholding for the moment, please, there is no need. If it is you who has come here, rather than sending Kazuma-sama, I cannot help but assume there is a message you wish to personally impart upon us?"

He turned to her, eyes too tired to convey emotion. _'Well…I can't blame her for thinking that.'_ "I'm here cuz I lost a fucking game. Trust me, we tried to send Kazuma." He ignored her surprise, looking back at the townsfolk. "So, any questions?"

An elderly woman stepped forth. A heart fortified with bravery compelled her forward, believing she had lived a good and long life. In the event that Hajime was tricking them, with the intent to slaughter anyone who truly does question him, she believed herself most fitting as a sacrifice to keep the young and brave safe.

"How do we know you're telling the truth? That you won't take over our country and rule us with an iron fist?" Heads perked up and faces stiffened with worry. She wasn't the only one troubled by her inquiry.

Hajime looked at her, his exhausted face mistaken as a menacing glare again, contradicted by a nonchalant shrug. "If there was a way to go back to our worlds, you can bet all four of us would be long gone. So… taking you guys over is just a waste of time."

The old lady blinked, tilting her head baffled.

"Any other questions?" He asked, stifling yet another yawn.

"Um…Hajime-sama…" Ritsuka reached out to him, stopping herself from physical contact. "Why don't you go back and rest? We thank you for taking the time to tell us this. I shall consider it and organize any requests we may deem necessary."

"Hm, yeah." Hajime nodded, cocking his thumb towards her. "I hereby declare Ritsuka to be our official mediator for requests… Or something like that." He hopped off the fountain.

"WAIT!" The raspy voice of an old man bellowed. Hajime turned his way. He didn't know him, but Ritsuka recognized him. He was a gangly, bearded mage. The oldest member of Kazuma's party. One of three men that thanked Kazuma for stealing the panties of their party's most beautiful mage.

This old man, too, believed he lived a good and long enough life. One worthy of being sacrificed if it came to it. Though, unlike the old woman, he prepared himself against a violent reaction from every female in the surrounding vicinity.

"The matriarchal system of this country is unfair! Kazuma-sama will agree! I believe something should be done about this!"

A large man in the crowd stood straight, raising his head high with confidence, as if a moment his whole life had built up to came to fruition. "YEAH!" Galeff, the buffest adventurer of Kazuma's party, shouted.

"I concur!" The young paladin, who is still ridiculed for sending Goblin Slayer off, joined in as well.

Agreeing declarations burst forth at random from different parts of the crowd. All from men. A small handful of women didn't mind their concerns, but shadows cast over many sets of eyes at the beginning of their end as upper class citizens. Ritsuka's eyes darkened too, but not due to the nature of the request. It was because of _who_ was requested to fix the issue. She shot a glare at Hajime, hoping he would suggest it be a group effort among them to deliver a less perverted solution.

He rubbed his eye for a few tense seconds. "Sure, I'll run it by Kazuma and let him handle it."

'_Oh fuck.'_ Her jaw dropped at the sound of her worst fear.

Women glowered at the men who voiced support. They responded with mischievous grins. Hajime started walking away as a war of eyes ensued behind him. Then he stopped mid-step. Everyone held their breath, afraid they've angered him somehow. He turned around once again, his eye singling an individual attempting to stay out of sight.

"YOU THERE!" He yelled out.

His gaze cut through the crowd, causing it to split. A path opened, leading right up to Beloukas peeking from around a buildings corner. He tugged on his collar and gulped.

"Where can we find you if we need another Slave Crest painted?"

He began sweating. He wanted to avoid revealing his whereabouts at all costs. Understandably, he believed his life depended on it. He thought of ratting out the fact that there were other people who knew how to create them…but that was not the question he was asked. "I own a tent on the outskirts of the town. Y-you can find me there!"

Hajime nodded, his exhaustion yet again being mistaken for a menacing glare. "We might pay you a visit sometime." He turned around once more and, finally, disappeared.

By the time Beloukas had made it back, he felt as if he'd lost weight just from the sweat and anxiety. He stepped into his dark, dingy tent. Cages stacked atop each other, imprisoning innocent demi-humans, rattled with inhabitants either hateful or terrified. The bars were rusted with filth and the place stunk of stale hay and urine. Blood spatters surrounded the edges of some cages, and coughs and cries decorated the background noise in a miserable choir. Beloukas walked through, looking at the horrid conditions with a new set of eyes.

'_I don't know what their opinions of slaves are…but if any of these heroes are against it, then this place will be a death sentence for me!'_ A weak cough at his side caught his attention. A little tanuki-girl, dressed in torn and unwashed clothes, lay emaciated on the cage floor. Her sallow skin stretched tightly around her skeleton, showing that she was close to death. Whatever sickness she suffered from was about to claim her at any moment.

The sight terrified Beloukas. _'If they're against slavery and they come to visit me today…THEY'LL KILL ME!'_ In a panic, Beloukas did something he never thought he would do, ever, in his career. Reaching into his supplies, he pulled out the strongest healing potion he owned, as well as a meal he was saving for later. He tossed the food into the cage with the young tanuki-girl and force-fed her the healing potion.

"You're not dying on me today, you little runt!" On this day, Beloukas vowed to improve the conditions of his slaves cages and force-nurse them to optimal health. Once he accomplished all of that, he planned to sell his slave tent to another dealer and flee Melromarc as fast and far as he could.

**26 Days until the Wave**

Two grand portraits of King Aultcray and Princess Malty leaned against the wall, propped up from the floor. Slits and tears mutilated their pictures with bloodless cuts. A throwing knife was currently lodged through Malty's mouth. The delicate hand of a regal woman wrapped itself around the hilt, cutting further into the canvas as she ripped it free.

"You spoiled bitch." The Queen spat under her breath.

She took a few steps back and looked at the king. Anger rose from her chest, crawling up through her throat, boiling a deep red through her face. Her hand whipped in his direction, releasing the knife, sending it right through his chest.

"You piece of _shit_, Aultcray!" Her lips curled as she cursed, scowling at his image with cold, furious eyes.

Her personal entourage, the Shadows, accompanied her in the room, spaced at symmetric intervals, cautious of surprise attacks. _One_ of many reasons she was angry at her husband and daughter. She had been working diligently without break, coordinating and cooperating with other countries, including those with which her own had tensions with, to secure a high standing for Melromarc in the international community.

But the years it takes to build greatness mean nothing to the minutes it's destroyed in. In a single act, King Aultcray managed to utterly ruin every last bit of effort she carefully oversaw each detail for, step by vigilant step. The stress was intense and excruciating, with a payoff equally rewarding. Until the high standing she managed to earn for her country plummeted like an anvil tossed on thin ice.

Queen Mirellia's temples pounded, teeth grinding as she entertained mental images of burning her two relatives at the stake. Disbelief, disappointment, anger and hatred overwhelmed her to a sickening degree. Deep, deep down she may have still loved her husband and daughter, but a catharsis was necessary if she was to think straight. Liberal, inconsequential violence upon mere pictures had brought her satisfaction...but served to infuriate just as quickly. Their portraits drenched her vision crimson. Cutting and burning painted canvases would soon lose their only good. The thought possessed her to lurch forward and dig her fingers into the sight of them. What she'd give to be a beastman with claws for just a moment. She wanted to feel it personally as she'd slash away at them.

"Mother…" A voice cracked, nervous and concerned, from the doorway behind her. "…Are you okay?"

She snapped back to her senses. Mirellia's shoulders visibly relaxed. She turned around to her second daughter; Eyes softening at the sight of her.

"Melty…" A slow smile forced itself through her rigid tension, before pursing her lips. She visualized the stress blowing out, feeling the edge to her anger drift away. "I'm sorry you had to see that. The meeting with the other leaders was…stressful. To say the least."

Melty averted her mother's gaze, clasping her clammy hands behind as she eyed the torn portraits. She took a few uneasy steps into the room, only stopping when it felt as if her shaky knees would buckle under weight. She tried to speak… "They must be-" And stopped immediately, ashamed of the anxiety strangling her voice. She cleared her throat and wet her mouth. "They must be pretty mad at Father and Sister, huh?"

Mirellia forced a laugh. "About as much as _I_ am." The unhappiness to her smile was creepy.

"Well, you have every right to be, _more_ than them!" Melty responded, hoping her validation would help her mother feel better. She opened her mouth, shut it quickly and rocked back and forth on her feet, until she decided on what she wanted to ask most. "So...what's going to happen now?"

Mirellia guessed this was going to be her question. Under any other circumstance, and truly ANY other, the question would not have been necessary. She brought Melty along for everything. It served as training for the future heir of Melromarc. It's what allowed the second-born princess to supersede the first in rights to the throne. But this was a meeting that Mirellia wanted to handle with as quick of wit as she ever thought with. No distractions; especially Melty. Even though Melty in particular, would not have been the issue. There was a very important reason for this.

Granted, if Melty _had_ witnessed her mother in action, she certainly would have been in awe. Hearing the silver tongue and sharp mind of the queen at work was akin to verbal sorcery. But the situation was too dire to scrap ones way out of without a price to pay. Having mentally configured the factors like chess, Mirellia concluded what the price was most likely to be. It gave her two damned good reasons to keep Melty out of sight. She breathed a gentle sigh of relief as her daughter stood before her, safe and untouched.

"For now, everything is going to be OK." She looked her daughter sharp in the eye, a gleam of pride shining with the high tilt of her chin. "There are three countries especially that were offended by your Father's actions. Do you know which ones?" A sharp mind may be inherited, but it dulls without cultivation.

"Um…" Melty turned her eyes up in thought, bringing a finger to her cheek. "From what I know…it would be the countries of Siltvelt and Faubley, right?" Her finger pulled away at a realization.  
"Oh, and Shieldfreeden too."

"Good." Mirellia nodded. "Tell me why."

"Well, Siltvelt already has a problem with us due to how demi-humans are treated, since they exercise supremacy over humans. And I'm also sure they and Shieldfreeden are concerned over how the Shield Hero will be treated in our country. But for Faubley…" She tried gulping away the tightness in her throat. "Weren't they…" She stooped her head, ashamed on behalf of her father. "…supposed to attempt the hero's summoning first?"

"Yes. Good job." Mirellia nodded again. "That is why all the world's leaders had gathered here. We understood that Faubley, for numerous reasons, would indisputably be given the right to try summoning a hero first. The rest of us had decided on an order to be followed through afterwards. As you could surmise, the Shield Hero was to be attempted by Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden."

Melty put a finger to her chin. "When was our turn?"

Mirellia snorted a heavy sigh. "We were fourth in line. Or, supposed to be, until five days ago when Faubley attempted the hero-summoning ritual." She turned to the portrait of her husband, folding her arms with a pinched expression. "You already _know_ how that went."

Melty nodded, looking at the portrait too without saying a word. At 10 years of age, she already understood that their planet was one packed with distrusting countries, constantly at odds with each other. A fast-traveling spy network was but a natural system to grow from such. The irony was lost on many how, had their world not been so vindictive and greedy, it carried the potential to unite them to the benefit of all. As a result, word had spread immediately when Melromarc violated the international agreement.

Melty grimaced, like something sour popped on her tongue. "Father really did something bad when he summoned them all for Melromarc, huh?"

Mirellia smiled, a sweet grin barely hiding the venom seething beneath. "Yes!" She whipped around and slung a knife right through his eye, startling the Shadows to jump. "He diiiiid!" She sung.

"EH!" Melty stuttered, shaking her arms in a panic, thinking of a way to distract her mother. "B-but, we're ok for now, right? H-h-how did you manage to calm them down?"

The queen straightened herself, regaining composure. One of the Shadows threw the portrait, more holes than picture now, into a fireplace while another propped up an untouched replica. "Siltvelt was ready to declare war on us, naturally. I believe they've just been waiting for an excuse since the last major war they lost to us, and so I had a rebuttal prepared long before this." She turned only her eyes to Melty, giving a mischievous smirk. "I reminded them that the Shield Hero from the last generation of heroes was killed in their country, is all. Would you trust a hero in such a place?"

Melty puffed her chest out proudly and smiled. _'That's mother for you!'_

"As for Shieldfreeden, I granted them, alongside Siltvelt and Faubley, the right to send emissary's to Melromarc and recruit the heroes of their choosing. After that, there was not much of a need to argue. The summoning ritual is not always successful, so in this regard, we are lucky that all four heroes _had_ been managed to be brought. Now, it's up to the heroes themselves whether they want to join their countries."

Melty nodded, mimicking her mother's mannerisms. "I understand!" Then she blinked a few times as a thought popped in mind. "But mother, if any of the heroes refuse to join, what if the other countries think we're persuading them not to? Especially the Shield Hero? Won't Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden complain?"

"If it happens to come to that…" The queen's mischievous grin hadn't faltered. "Then I'll just tell them that the heroes are cleaning up some of the scum from my country. I'll use the very elements about Melromarc that _they _hate to _our_ benefit. They can't complain then. The international community knows I've been trying to uplift our standing with other countries, and with the way my orders had been so blatantly disobeyed…what can they possibly say when they've acknowledged my personal efforts up to this point, and the very things they take issue with are being specifically purged from my lands?"

"Ah!" Melty tucked her fists in at her side, flashing her teeth. "I get it!"

"Plus…" The queen turned to the new portrait. "He may have fallen quite low, despicably so…but the respect that your father begets from the other countries, even from his enemies, is a big help. In fact, because of that, I was able to issue a gentle warning about the dangers of attacking the nation possessing four legendary heroes. It was argued that those heroes may still be new to their weapons, but as long as your father lives, every country, including Faubley, would think twice before launching an attack upon us now." She resisted throwing a knife through the yet-to-be sullied portrait. "Those are two dangerous forces they would not want to incur upon themselves."

Melty tilted her head. "So that's why Faubley isn't taking action against us?"

Melty didn't notice it as Mirellia hid it will…but her smile stiffened. Her brow wrinkled and her eyes flickered with a dark emotion. Regret? Anxiety? Pity? Either way…

"Yes, it is." She lied. Just one lie, but far from a little one.

Her daughter sighed with a palm to her chest. "Thank goodness!"

This was the reason she kept her away from the meeting. In spite of Siltvelt's personal vendetta, there was one country that posed an even greater threat to them. Faubley, the worlds most advanced country with the mightiest military. Sitting atop the most powerful country was a beastly man who, only under ones breath, is called by his earned title the Pig King. Mirellia prioritized his appeasement over everything else.

It was central to shifting the circumstances in her favor. The things she had told Melty were not lies. She had indeed guilt tripped Siltvelt through their history with the Shield Hero. She had granted the offended nations permission to recruit the heroes. The reminder of the four heroes in her country had made anyone ready for war, hesitate on spot. And the name of King Aultcray was indeed enough to make any country think twice before attacking. But each country _had_ thought twice. Shiedlfreeden was not swayed by Siltvelts history, and war was an easy way to force the heroes out of Melromarc. If another nation's martial superiority was proven, it was common sense that newly summoned heroes would align themselves with a safer guarantee for victory.

Thus, Mirellia had told her daughter no lie. The omission of the core truth underlying each word she carefully chose, though, rendered her fundamentally dishonest. The queen had successfully appeased Faubley. So, with them on her side, Siltvelt, Shieldfreeden and any other nation thinking of war had stepped down. But it was not without sacrifice.

Her own words replayed against her will like a traumatic memory. "I grant you my first daughter, in return for your support."

Everyone in the meeting room fell silent when Mirellia agreed to this demand. World leaders sat still, staring at her from the edge of a large round table. The Pig King himself, though, remained unseen behind the sultry curtains of a royal palanquin. Yet, without showing his face, the noises he made easily conveyed his excitement. Several leaders cringed at the sound; it was less human, and more a carnivorous pig licking its chops. In spite of his anger, even Siltvelt's leader felt a pang of sympathy. The cruelty of this sentence was one that no parent should be forced into.

Fortunately, the Queen was not so careless as to ignore thinking even further ahead. As she traced the trajectory of possible outcomes, mapping out the pieces in an elaborate array of calculated moves, already an idea struck. She let the judgement of others slide off her as she planned how to spare her daughter from a fate that, at the moment, she was tempted to leave be. This just testified to how dire the situation was, and how desperate Mirellia was. The survival of Melromarc was delicately hinged on this promise to the Pig King.

And to Queen Mirellia's credit… it _was _a good idea.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**24 Days until the Wave**

After transmuting the blueprints for the new royal fortress, Hajime requested Ritsuka and her subordinates to deliver invitations in lieu of payment. Kazuma specifically requested for the same nobles that he saved on the day of Hajime and Killua's fight; as a low-key form of a debt to repay. When assured of their safety, most of them opted to go out of curiosity. For preparation, the hot-spring tub was moved to a designated recreation room so that same space could be made for the gambling lounge. Though the nobles were told they were simply "visiting the church", in truth, it was the breaking in of the world's first casino.

Led inside by Kazuma, the first real difference nobles noted were the removal of all holy relics. Next was a carpeted area topped with rows of strange machines, each with screens showing three various symbols and shapes. They didn't quite understand what it was they were supposed to do. One lady, with a sparkling shawl around her neck, sat down at a slot machine she was led to. She was instructed to insert a small silver coin and pull the lever. Kazuma and Killua stood at each side of the machine, everyone else surrounding her inquisitively. Each slot had stopped on a different shape, a bow, a shield and a gun.

"Aw, tough luck!" Killua said. "What'dya say, Kazuma? Should we let her have another crack at it?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "Let's give someone else a try. I recently got a submission to do something about the matriarchy in this country, so I'm gonna start by enforcing some good ol' gender equality." He shooed her away like a dog. "So go!"

The noble woman puffed her cheeks and left. A man in a top hat and a monocle resumed her spot, pushed in a small silver coin and pulled the lever. The slots aligned with a spear, another spear, and a grenade.

"Shoot, that's too bad!" Kazuma patted the man's back. "You were so close!"

"Hmph!" The noble in the top hat made his disapproval clear. Though he wasn't sure what exactly he had lost, the mere fact he did was enough to displease him. He turned his nose up at the machine, leaving his seat rather forcefully. "I don't see the point in this childish game!"

"Hey now, don't say that!" Killua knocked the slot machine with the back of his fist. "Victory feels best when it's earned. How often do you win something the first time around, anyway?"

A noble wearing a brocade tunic, shining with silver embroidery, took a seat and cracked his knuckles. He slid his coin in and reached for the lever. Killua pumped an unnoticeable current of electricity into the machine, activating a secret cheat switch. The slots spun. The first one came to an abrupt stop after a few tense seconds. It was a sword. The second slot stopped. A sword yet again. Killua knew the job had been done. The third slot stopped the moment he pulled his hand off. A sword.

A built-in bell began ringing inside the machine. Sparks sprayed into the air from the top in a celebratory display. A torrent of clinging and clanging sung like music to the ears, as gold and silver coins spilled into a metal tray. It was packed to the brim when the silence returned.

The nobles all stared at the free treasure. The man in the seat was frozen and slack jawed. He turned to Kazuma and Killua. "I…I don't get it…?" His disbelieving stare was tempered with a touch of hope. "What do I do with this?"

The two of them smiled. Kazuma snapped his fingers. "Why, you keep it! It's the prize you won fair and square!"

"Fair…and…" The noble's eyes began to sparkle like the money itself. "…Square?" He then cackled like a hyena, scooping up the coins. "IF YA SAY SO!" Whenever another nobles hand entered his peripherals, he snarled his threats incoherently like a rabid animal.

"You can buy this if you can't carry it all…" Killua leaned against the slot machine nonchalantly, offering a leather pouch swinging from his fingers. "Three small silvers. It's made out of-"

The noble snatched the pouch and replaced it with its price at a speed that even Killua was impressed at. He began to frantically scoop his prize into it. The other nobles rushed to slot machines, furiously shoving coins in and yanking levers down.

"Hey, just so everyone knows…" Kazuma cupped his hands around his mouth, amplifying his voice. "The more expensive the slot machine, the bigger the prize!"

At this, the nobles then noticed that certain machines had much larger and deeper trays. Shoving matches ensued, fighting for the spot in front of one. As a test run, they were only allowed to play for five hours. Killua monitored how everyone behaved to take note of what precautions may be necessary. As he did, he was happy to see none of them growing bored. The hours passed too quickly to believe.

On this day, only two more nobles won prizes, but every little bit helped rid the melted relics and valuables of the church and castle. They ushered them out and encouraged a visit to Ritsuka. Through her, they could submit suggestions to improve the experience. Once the new gate Hajime had built finally closed, Kazuma and Killua smacked their hands together in a victorious high five.

"YEAH!"

"YEAH!"

They unloaded the new coins they earned into different bags, categorizing them based on metal and size.

"Y'know, I've been so focused on how to get this all to work..." Killua tied up his bags. "I forgot that we haven't thought of a name to call this place yet."

"You don't wanna just call it _The Casino_?" Kazuma heaved a bag of money over his shoulder. "It's the only one in the world, after all."

Killua threw two over each of his shoulders. "The problem with that lays right in the same reality. Nobody knows what a _casino_ is. So we should give it a name that is synonymous with money. Like, The Gold Mine, The Money House, The Treasure Cove, etcetera."

"Hmm, gold, money or treasure…" Kazuma put a finger to his chin.

They stopped before the entrance to the dome. It had been sealed off with a vault-door that could only be opened by Hajime's input of mana…or massive currents of electricity.

"You've been practicing, right?" Killua turned only his eyes to him.

"Oh yeah, got a lot of space between you two to catch up through." Kazuma lowered the money bag and pulled the holy bow off his back. He drew the string, face solid with concentration, eyes squinting to focus. A sheen of electricity sparked at his will, coating his arrow. "Lightning Shot!" He fired it into the door. It barely stuck inside, purposefully, and funneled bolt after bolt into it. The wheel-handle twisted, registering the electric input. This way, all three of them had access to the dome.

"Look Hajime, money!" Kazuma proudly held the bag of legal tender.

"Uh huh, money. Nice." His voice echoed with a monotone apathy.

He was nowhere in sight, but his location was not a mystery. He smoothed out the massive crater and built a platform, mounted on a gyroscopic stabilizer, level to where the floor should be. He was simply somewhere underneath. The sight reminded Killua of the challenge floor in Trick Tower where he faced off against Jones the serial killer.

Killua and Kazuma poured the money into a transmuted bank safe and slid down the smoothed curve under the platform. Glowing ores reflected off the gears, pistons, rods, pipes and shafts of different shapes and sizes, all sprawled across the floor in semi-organized piles. Hajime himself was fixated on an unidentifiable hunk of machinery, mumbling inventive speculations to himself.

"You might have started off the weakest of your class…" Killua looked around, impressed. "But I think that the Synergist class fits you perfectly. You truly could revolutionize Tortus."

Hajime tightened a giant bolt with an even bigger wrench and dropped it with an ear-piercing clang. Kazuma felt himself vibrate with the concrete floor as it did. "Yeah, well, I'll think about revolutionizing _Japan_ when I get back. _Fuck Tortus_." He snickered.

"Hey man, as long as you're careful with whatever you're making in here…" Kazuma tried pushing the wrench with his foot. "Then as far as I'm concerned, go nuts dude." Unmoving under all his weight, he pushed himself back instead. "I still have bad memories thanks to a stupid scientist in a certain world of dumbasses…"

Hajime lifted the wrench effortlessly and moved it away. "If you're implying I should NOT make some gigantic machine to mindlessly destroy whole countries that I have no control over…" He dabbed some sweat from his brow with a towel. "…then you have nothing to worry about!" A tiny smirk was just visible if one looked from the right angle.

"Oi…" Kazuma did. "Why do I have a feeling you're only referring to the "no control over" part?"

The question forced out the smile Hajime was restraining.

"OI!" Kazuma thrust a finger in his direction. "What the hell are you making in here!?"

"Oh, by the way…" Hajime darted next to him, creeping him out with a big cheesy grin and an arm around his shoulder. "I made some things for you and Killua!"

He reached into his Treasure Trove and pulled out an odd contraption. He placed it on the floor with oversized tongs. "Killua, come here and use the copy feature of your shield."

He observed the strange object as he walked over. It was all black, meaning it was made of the same ores that Hajime's own weapons were. It looked similar to a track runner's discus. Upon stepping closer, there were actually two of them, connected by a thin cord. Killua placed his hand on the strange object and activated the Weapon Copy system.

His shield transformed. Each discus was about as large as the shield itself, one fastened to each arm. The cord stretched from both of them, up his arms, and was clipped to his biceps by a metal brace, the rest of it running against his back. Killua staggered, confused as to what the hell he had just equipped onto himself. However, as the two discus-shaped shields weighed down his arm, a familiarity, like a long-awaited reuniting, washed over him.

"…Yo-yo's?" The happiness robbed his voice of its volume.

There was no bigger compliment to an inventor than honest awe. "New-and-improved!" Hajime grinned. "There's at least 30 feet worth of cable stored in each yo-yo, and they'll automatically retract unless you exert outward force on them. Plus, as I'm sure you can feel, they're a tad heavier than your usual ones. 150 pounds each!"

"GAAAWWWW?!" Kazuma's jaw dropped, unintentionally releasing a funny noise. "Killua! How heavy _are_ your usual ones?"

He flashed him a catty grin. "110 pounds."

"Geez…" A bead of sweat broke at his hairline. "And you toss those around like it's nothing, huh?"

"Oh, but this is important!" Hajime brought their attention back. "These weapons are sensitive to mental signals. In my experience, it's all been about how you perceive them as you use it. Like with my vehicles…which obviously aren't spear-like."

"Ah, he's right!" Kazuma patted a fist into his palm, turning to Killua. "Basically, don't think of those massive yo-yo's as weapons…" He scratched his cheek. "Though, that might be kinda hard…"

"Hey…" Hajime shrugged. "The best defense is a great offense, is it not?"

"Actually, I already noticed these things respond to our thoughts." Killua turned his arms over, inspecting the new equipment. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm swinging my shields to defend myself from a distance."

"Ha!" Kazuma threw his head up. "There ya go, that's the spirit!"

"Swinging is fine, and you can totally _just_ do that…" Hajime tiled his head down, chuckling to himself. "But that's not all they do! Run a bit of electricity into them…" He flashed his teeth with mischievous excitement.

Killua activated Lightning Palm. The side of the shields facing away from him then burst with a mix of thick stone spikes and hooked thorns. "AH!" Killua stared, shaking happily. "AH! HAHAHA!"

"And that's just with a little bit of electricity…" Hajime snapped his fingers. "Hang them from a few feet of cable and just wait 'til you run some of that charge from Godspeed through those… Oh, but…" He held his hand up. "…don't try it in here."

Killua looked up, heartbroken. "Why not?!"

Hajime smirked. "Cuz I guarantee you'll wanna play around with it immediately!"

Immediately, Killua activated Godspeed and disappeared from the area. As the crackling rush of his power faded out of hearing range, the last traces of his words echoed faintly from the edges of the room. "Hajime, you're awesome!"

Hajime nodded to himself at a job well done. He then looked to Kazuma, and Kazuma at him.

'_Does he have some cool weapon for me too?'_ Hope twinkled in his eyes. _'Can I still become a badass hero in this world then?!'_

"And as for you…lemme see the 4-in-1 weapon. Keep it as a bow."

"Sure!" He unslung it from his shoulders.

Hajime received it, picking up what looked like a gun without a barrel. Using the oversized tongs to avoid physical contact, he lodged the bow into the metal stock.

"Ah!" Kazuma recognized what it was. "A crossbow."

"An automatic one!" Hajime clicked a magazine cartridge into a slot on the bottom. "It can load and shoot 10 arrows in 1.5 seconds." He handed it back.

"Nice, man!" He was indeed happy to have a modernized version of his bow, so his smile was not forced by any means. _'Though…I was hoping for an upgrade that'd give me a decent boost of power or something. I mean, Killua has 120 pound spiked weights to swing around. A crossbow is just a faster way to do what my bow would already be doin-' _A realization cut his thoughts short. "Hold on, why are we making a crossbow out of _this_ arrow? If we do it with the Legendary Weapon, I can at least add it to a whole arsenal of bow-based weapons."

Hajime looked at him blankly for a second. "Well, add it anyway just in case, but I got something else for the Legendary Weapon. Come over here." A blanket covered yet another unidentifiable object. "Without peeking, I want you to stick your hand in there and copy what's inside." Hajime told him with a suggestive smile.

Kazuma raised a brow, shrugged then squatted before the covered item. He slithered his hand carefully inside until his fingers made contact with a cool piece of metal. He tried to identify it by its shape, but it resembled nothing recognizable by the way it poked against the blanket. The bow slung over his back began to shine. The light then morphed into a shape that surrounded his whole body. Two huge chunks shined at his hips while bright white lines criss-crossed around himself.

"What the?" Then the shining stopped, revealing the weapon that Hajime transmuted for him. The breath was knocked out of Kazuma. He no longer wondered why couldn't guess what it was, as it was something he'd never seen in real life before. But he had _seen_ it before. His heart began to race, his cheeks blushed with heat and a helpless smile curved up high and deep into his face. "This is…" He rubbed his hands against it. "THIS IS…" His breath quickened.

"Yup!" Hajime nodded again, stepping in front of Kazuma to appreciate his own handiwork. "3D Maneuver Gear!"

Kazuma laughed with maniacal excitement. "Hajime, you're the FUCKING BEST!"

"Well here's the _fucking best_ part! It's connected to another automatic crossbow! You can now literally dual-wield two Legendary Weapons while soaring through the sky!"

"Dual wield?" Kazuma shook his head, chuckling. "YOU CHUUNI FUCK, THAT'S AWESOME!" He screamed in his face.

"AGH, I KNEW AN OTAKU LIKE YOU WOULD FUCKIN' LOVE IT!" Hajime screamed back.

Then, in a moment of near-cringe self-awareness, they turned away from each other, clearing their throats.

"A-anyway…" Hajime continued. "I figured it technically functions in essence like an arrow. They're basically harpoons at your hips." _'Plus, I really, REALLY wanted to try making one at least once!' _He pat Kazuma on the back. "Now go out there with your party! You gotta get in some practice with that thing, don't ya!"

"Yeah, yeah." Kazuma swept his hand through the air, having been told the same thing multiple times. "Ritsuka's been bugging me not to get lazy with you guys since you're overpowered and all." He shrugged, then pulled the auto-bows from his hip holsters. "But this _is_ a damned good reason to take them out. I'm totally gonna master this thing!" Kazuma jogged toward the doors. "Thanks again, dude!"

Hajime smiled to himself once more. _'Finally.' _He then sighed._ 'Now I can put this engine together before he realizes what I'm gonna do with it and complains.' _

Naturally, as Hajime forged these unorthodox cheat weapons, idea's for his own spear came to pass. They were feasible, but there was a big problem when it came to the very thought of his Legendary Weapon. It was a screaming reminder of having been summoned all over again to yet another world as a hero. The unnecessary time it added to his eventual return to Japan was something he worked to constantly ignore. Doing so, he tempered into mild irritation what occasionally flared up as an impulse to utterly annihilate.

'_Thank goodness I was brought here with the likes of Killua and Kazuma. I mean that! However…' _The corner of his mouth curved down. _'I know Killua's worried about his sister, and wants to leave just as fast as I do.' _He sighed in defeat._ 'Maybe I should just try something with that stupid thing…'_

Thinking of his spear, however, riled his mild irritation back up to an intense annoyance. This wasn't the first time. He never let it past that when it did, but emotions aren't always bound successfully by will. The intense annoyance, if left unchecked, he could feel bordering against the edge of a dangerous feeling. A dark, single-minded, unbreakable rage that shoved forth with a destructive fixation. It was an anger he hadn't remembered truly feeling since his days in the Orcus Abyss…before meeting Yue.

At the thought of her, he brought his hand to his neck, caressing the last spot she gently sunk her fangs in. _'Damn, I miss her.'_ She was much more to him than just a lover, in spite of what he enjoyed letting Kazuma think. She had been with him the longest since his transformation. She knew him better than anyone in their group. It's because of that, he trusted her the most in return. When in doubt, it was always her opinion he would seek. Now, because of the greedy carelessness of this bitter world, she was whole universes away from him.

'_Fuck your Legendary Weapons.' _Disgusted with those feelings returning, and still mad at this world, he decided never to touch that spear. Merely out of spite. _'I'm gonna destroy these Waves by my own hands.'_

**23 Days until the Wave **

"I'm worried." Her voice was composed, despite her words. "Ever since the updates on the Heroes have halted, Faubley had increased their border security. This makes it much more difficult to receive messages before they've spread through the rest of the world."

Queen Mirellia was in the midst of discussion with her Shadows.

"Leaving Faubley has become challenging too." One of them spoke. "They're even more suspicious of people coming in."

"Isn't it possible that there is simply nothing to report about the Heroes?" Another asked.

"It is nigh impossible." Mirellia said. "At least, there is no way that Aultcray wouldn't try something against the Shield Hero. It also doesn't help that he hasn't, not even once, replied to my letters."

"What about Big Sis?" Melty, standing at Mirellia's side, looked up at her. "I hear she signed up as an adventurer to join one of the Heroes."

Mirellia closed her eyes and sighed. "Her behavior is unpredictable…but I fear she may try something as well. Either way, the only thing we know so far is that the Sword Hero has left the other three, searching through caves for a particular species of monsters."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Melty fit her chin between her fingers. "There's plenty of different monsters in caves, and if he's killing them along the way, that means he's gaining experience, right?"

Mirellia smiled. "Yes, at least we know one of the Heroes has taken their role seriously. Unfortunately, we haven't received any further updates since. Faubley's improved security may have hindered my Shadows coming through…" She drew her brows together. "But it is the Three Heroes Church that has been coordinating with their own clandestine groups outside of Melromarc, leaking information to other countries. The fact that nothing further has been said is making me worried. I fear that something serious may have happened in our country."

Melty stood by her side, attentively listening, absorbing both the information and the techniques of her mother's problem-solving. It served as a double-edged education, forging the next ruler in line for Melromarc. At 10 years old, Melty was unimaginably ahead of her children peers, and there was no doubt she had a reserve of talent that made her a natural. Mirellia didn't show it as she spoke, but she was proud with her at her side, standing tall, receiving the knowledge and insight which took a lifetime to build. Passing it onto her daughter gave her hope for the future of her country.

'_If I can keep Melromarc together, and if our world survives the Waves, then by the time I hand our country to you, my dear daughter, may your talents cultivate one of the greatest nations the next generation shall see!' _Mirellia smiled and cleared her throat. "As of now, though it will certainly be stressful, our only course of action is to wait. I have to meet with the leader of Zeltobe tomorrow morning and hear out their gripes. Until we receive further information on the matter, there is not much we can-"

Three loud bangs violently rattled the door. Everyone jumped.

"Queen Mirellia!" A soldier screamed. "The King of Faubley demands your presence. NOW!"

'_Oh no…' _Her face paled, creased with worry. _'This can't be good.'_

Remembering the deal she made with the King, she refused to bring Melty. Malty made herself expendable…Melty was a priceless asset for her countries future. She couldn't risk having her be seen by the Pig King, and thus demanded for on the spot. "Split up. Half of you will come with me, the other half will take Melty elsewhere to hide and keep her guarded."

The Shadows saluted, acknowledging their order. Melty looked offended.

"Mother!" She struck the floor with her foot. Her face was almost a mirror of her own, with its seriousness. "Let me come too! I won't learn how to handle a situation this bad if I don't watch how you deal with it. What if we never encounter a problem like this again until _after_ you step down from the throne?"

It was a good point. For a moment, Mirellia felt it best to bring her along and expose the sacrifice she had to make. But the thought of the Pig King laying his eyes on Melty sent a shiver up her spine, and a fearful flutter in her heart.

"No." She delivered her answer without mercy. "If his treatment of the Shield Hero worsens, I'll have to send you back to your Father to admonish him. It would be safer for you, when I do, if the other leaders gathered here believe that you have been long gone." Mirellia walked to the door, gripping the handle to still her shaky arm. She turned around one last time to Melty, her eyes softening with regret. "Please understand."

Before she could give her time to answer, the Queen and half her entourage had left the room.

[Faubley Conference Room]

Each heart beat felt heavy, pulsating discomforting tingles in Mirellia's chest. Several sets of footsteps patted unsynchronized, never giving the speechless crowd a moment of silence. They stopped before metal doors guarded by soldiers. The screeching grind as it opened caused her chest to tighten for a moment, releasing immediately. The sound scraped at the Shadows ears, raising goosebumps.

The room it led inside of was a sterile, dreary gray with vibes like an old morgue. It was filled with a large square table; multiple world leaders sat at its edges. They turned to Mirellia with unfriendly stares. She stood still, hesitating to enter. A deep breath and a Shadows hand at the small of her back gave her a push of courage. She neutralized the expression on her face and walked in, thankful her dress did well to hide her wobbly knees. Her eyes flitted quickly between the leaders. Among them, there were two who stood out particularly.

They were both demi-humans. One was a man with wings rising from his shoulder blades, bending down over the chair until they stopped short of touching the floor. He was representing Siltvelt. Across the table from him was another man, except with features of a dragons rather than a birds. He was here on behalf of Shieldfreeden. Both of them watched her with especially cold glares.

At the head of the table, five councilman of the Pig King sat. Behind them, a royal palanquin rested on the floor, curtains still drawn, soldiers surrounding it. All that could be heard was heavy breathing.

'_The atmosphere is as tense as when they first discovered Aultcray betrayed my orders…He must have done something again.'_ Mirellia stifled her frown. _'The worst possible situations I can think of is that he's either tried executing the Shield Hero, declared war on a demi-human country with the Three Hero's Church, or is now bribing the hero's he's summoned to take action against Faubley…'_

The chief councilman, sat in the middle of the five, stood to bow. He was a tall man of thin stature, ashen skin and a sloped forehead that tapered to a sharp chin. His smile felt insincere, beholding the creepiness of a mask and the fake emotion carved onto it. A seat directly opposite to him, where everyone could watch and judge her, was pulled out by a Faubley servant. She politely accepted the offer, not wishing to cause further offense.

'_What if they know something I don't already? Is this a trap? My only exit is blocked, and my Shadow's can't handle all these soldiers present…'_ The thoughts wouldn't shut up, despite her effort to force her focus outwards.

As if to confirm their unity of thought, her Shadows encircled her chair closely, but they were followed immediately by Faubley soldiers encircling them as well. Since Mirellia wasn't able to control these feelings… _'I can use the threat of the Cane Hero leading the Legendary Hero's for vengeance, if it seems anything is about to happen to me.'_ She concocted a trump card of threats to, at least, give pause to itchy trigger fingers. _'I need to stay calm…everything will be alright. I've got through the worst of things already.'_

"Thank you all for being here on such short notice, yet again!" The chief bowed. "Let us begin. First off, Queen Mirellia…his majesty would like to make it clear that he is still grateful for the proposal you were so kind to accept."

In her peripherals, she could see the other leaders react. She only made eye contact with Siltvelt's and Shieldfreeden's. They each looked disgusted. She glared back with hard eyes. _'Fuck off, you two.' _She looked back at the chief, giving a nod, and speaking with a voice slightly higher than intended. "I am thankful for his graciousness." She swallowed, to no effect, the ever-evolving apprehension crawling up her throat, stripping her fingers of any lingering warmth. _'What the hell happened?!'_

"In spite of his graciousness, however…" The councilman continued, Mirellia's brows furrowing. "Your promise to the King is not an unbreakable shield that shall guard you from the consequences of your country's actions. I assume you understand this, yes?"

She nodded, silently inhaling a deep breath.

"Very well." The councilman waved his hand, a signal to soldiers standing by another set of doors. They opened them, disappeared into the room, and returned with a woman wearing a black cloak with her hood removed. Another knight held a silver masquerade mask in his hands. Mirellia's chest tightened again, but this time, it never released. Her breathing quickened and spine stiffened, eyes stuck on the captured woman.

"We apprehended a spy from Melromarc this morning. She attempted to cross our borders disguised as a Faubley noble." The tightness in her chest reached her throat, making it difficult to swallow again. "Fortunately, we have decided recently to take extra precautions when people enter our country." The chief gave a disturbing grin. "Updates on the hero's in Melromarc had suddenly halted, five days ago. Three days after they had been wrongfully summoned to a cunning, underhanded country. Suspicious, is it not?" The chief's mouth straightened. "We can only guess that Melromarc has somehow, for _some reason_, quarantined communications from reaching anyone outside."

Mirellia's eyes grew hard, pretending to look forward while sinking into thought. _'The Three Heroes Church... They've been trying to conquer my country from the inside out. There's no way they'd stop the information leaks on their own…' _She felt each throb of her anxious heart as she made deductions. _'I don't know how Aultcray found a way to cut their communication channels …but he should know doing so would put other countries on high alert! I rely heavily on my Shadows to relay sensitive information to me! And he hasn't been answering my letters…Must he HAVE to make my life harder?!'_

"It was only natural we conclude that, if Melromarc is confining their communications…" The chief looked right into Mirellia's eyes. "Then there must be something big they are hiding from the world, no? I mean, how do we know there is not a war being planned against us with the Heroes tricked into being their main force?"

Her jaw clenched, gritting her teeth._ 'Aultcray…' _Nostrils flared and a burst of heat flashed under her squeezing ribs. _'What the hell have you done?' _

One side of the chief's mouth curled up. "Now, due to the very nature of a spy…we had no choice but to take some _drastic measures_. To ensure we get an honest answer, of course."

Two soldiers grabbed the collar of the spies cloak and yanked in opposite directions. It split down the middle, revealing a fresh Slave Crest above her undershirt. A cold prickling jolted up Mirellia's spine, radiating outward until her skin crawled. She heard her Shadows behind draw deep, worried breaths at the sight as well, some gasping aloud.

The chief's face slowly built to a smile. "Our soldiers could have interrogated her at their headquarters, but our great King suggested we arrange the meeting we all attending at this moment!" He sneered, hiding his sadistic pleasure behind the guise of loyal duty.

The palanquin creaked as the Pig King moved behind its curtains. "I wonder…" His voice rumbled, pushing repulsive vibrations through leaders sat closest to him, intimidating those too far to feel it. "What news could possibly be so important that a toy had to skip me and sneak over to you? After I offered you and your _daughter_ a safe place to stay in my country?"

Mirellia's hands tensed like claws under the table. _'Don't you mention my fucking daughter. Not Melty!'_ Her eyes widened, showing the whites around her violet irises.

The chief smirked, turning to the spy. "Tell us, does your message have something to do with either the King of Melromarc or the First Princess Malty?" He traced a large arc with his arm, spanning it across all the leaders present.

The spy was pale, fear plaguing the health of her complexion. Dark circles accentuated her teary eyes growing desperately wide. "Yes." Her voice cracked.

"Well then…" The chief leaned back, stroking his pointed chin. "Do tell! There's no need to be shy…" His eyes squinted with a sinister grin.

The spy tore her eyes from his, falling silent, angling herself away from all the world leaders intently observing her. Shieldfreeden's dragon-man was resting his chin in interlocked fingers, staying still with concentration. Siltvelt's bird-man had a wide smile and gleaming eyes. Whatever the message was, they knew it was going to be bad. They anticipated it. The spy trembled like a helpless animal.

The veins on Mirellia's neck and face strained against skin. _'Aultcray…' _Her adrenaline pooled into a reserve of strength begging to be unleashed upon him. _'What the __**fuck**__ did you do?!'_

At last, the spy turned to her queen. She tilted her head down while keeping eye contact, forgiveness being begged for all over her face.

Mirellia nodded lightly. _'Out with it!' _The adrenaline flooded her head, bringing with it the pounding throb of her heart._ 'Whatever the hell that scum I crowned king has done, I won't be able to rectify unless I know what it is!' _She thought of the portraits back in her room; all the knives she'd thrown through them. _'He put us both in this situation with his careless idiocy! That bastard is willing to destroy everything I've worked for to satisfy his petty prejudices! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!'_ Helpless to express her violent urges, she balled her hands into fists until knuckles turned white.

The spy's shoulders hunched forward, twitching with each sob she restrained. She didn't bother hiding the tears ready to fall.

'_**Aultcray!**__ I swear, if you've fucked things up beyond repair…' _Unforced images of Aultcray choking and bleeding flashed through Mirellia's mind._ 'I might just execute you myself when I return!'_

The spy grimaced, pressing her lips white. "The King and the First Princess…" Her shaky voice broke into a whimper, before finishing in a weak whisper. "…are _dead_."

"Huh?" Mirellia went stiff. Her fists loosened but fingers were frozen curled. The morbid thoughts plaguing her mind moments ago vanished. _'Wait…' _She blinked. _'…What...'_ She stared at the spy. _'…What did she say?'_ She tried taking those violent thoughts back, pretending she didn't actually mean them. _'No…I didn't hear her right…right?' _A dizzy spell spun her brain around inside her unmoving head. _'This must be a dream…' _"…right?" She mumbled the last word aloud to herself, standing absentmindedly.

Silvelts leader cawed with an unpitying laugh. The hands of Shieldfreeden's leader smacked the table when they dropped, staring with a frown and raised brows. The chief stared incredulously with his mouth agape, no mask over the honesty of his surprise.

Mirellia took a step back. "What did…?" She took another one. "What did you say?" Her disbelief was audible. _'There…must be…'_ Eyes bulged and watered, blinking as rapidly as her breaths. _'…Something wrong here! I must have misheard you!' _Her stomach clenched, feeling heavy enough to sink her into the ground.

"I'M SO SORRY, YOU'RE HIGHNESS!" The spy heaved out the sobs she'd been holding back. "KING AULTCRAY AND PRINCESS MALTY HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

An empty space gouged itself through Mirellia's chest. She stood speechless, tears welling, gripping the table for support with one hand while she rubbed her forehead with the other. "Wha…" No sound, only a weak breath. "Wha..wha-what…" Shaking her head with distracted eyes, her voice slowly returned. "What happened?" She found the eyes of her spy, staring directly at her. "WHYYY!?" She screamed. She was desperate for a hole in the confession. An off detail that would cast it in doubt.

No such thing existed.

"The Spear Hero deemed them to be enemies of his…" Her voice warbled with remorse. "…So he executed them." She sniffled, tears dripping off her chin. "I witnessed it with my own eyes, your Highness. I know it to be absolute, I daresay." Slave Crest did nothing.

Mirellia felt light; detached from the world, like she was floating out of her body. On the verge of fainting, she prayed she would find herself waking from a slumber she had forgotten falling into. She prayed and begged desperately that this was a bad dream, a nightmare, cursing her senses with vivid hallucinations due to stress. Pleading this was just a panicked thought thrust from her subconscious, playing out in the midst of deep sleep. _'PLEASE!' _She wished in the silence of her mind, mouth too shocked to move.

"Oi, Chief Councilman…" The clarity of Shieldfreeden's leader's voice sounded alien compared to the breaking tones of Mirellia and her spy. "Ask the spy what caused the Spear Hero to deem them as enemies."

The chief nodded at him, then turned his back on everyone to face the spy directly. He then mocked her with an exaggerated pouty face. She cringed, terrified.

"Soooo?" He drew out his words. "What did… the _King_ and the _Princess_…do?" He trapped a giggle in his throat. Only the spy heard it.

"King Aultcray and Princess Malty acted of their own accord! Queen Mirellia would have admonished them, if she was there!" She used the Slave Crest to her advantage, attempting to clear her queen's name with unquestionable honesty. "Princess Malty tried to frame the Shield Hero for the false crime of raping her. King Aultcray believed her unconditionally. The other heroes were not as easily convinced…" Panicked mind running on auto-pilot, she was about to recall the events in order. "This is what led… to the castle being destroyed...then-"

"HA!" Mirellia jumped when Siltvelt's leader smashed the table and laughed. "Serves them right! Divine punishment for bringing harm unto the Shield Hero!" The spy choked.

"I agree." Shieldfreeden's leader nodded. "It also pleases me to hear these heroes cooperate well with each other. At least Melromarc's filthy prejudices hasn't rubbed off on them." At this, the world leaders table erupted with laughter. Only a few remained silent. The spy couldn't continue any longer, seeing the despair on her queen's face, framed by the excited sneers of world leaders surrounding her.

The news struck a piercing pain in Mirellia's chest, pushing deeper into her as the hostility from all around smothered her like suffocation. _'The castle…has been destroyed?'_ Her hands fluttered against her open mouth. The image of the Spear Hero using his Legendary Weapon to unleash an attack against Malty and Aultcray, cowering helplessly, mentally played itself through in intense detail. _'No…'_ She imagined an attack large enough to demolish a large portion of the castle, leaving no trace of her family members behind. _'No, no, no, this can't be happening!' _She breathed erratically_. 'PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T REAL!'_

A vile laughter bellowed from behind the sultry curtains of the royal palanquin. "So, you mean to tell me…" The Pig King's voice rumbled through chests with a ghastly resonance, like a barbaric behemoth. "Not only has my newest toy been taken from me…but _Aultcray_ has now _died_ before me?"

"Ah!" A sharp cry escaped Mirellia's lips. She slapped her hand over her mouth a second too late. She hyperventilated through her nose as a tear betrayed her will, streaming a single streak over her fingers. The Pig King's implications were clear. He had more reasons to care about King Aultcray's death than anyone else, including Siltvelt. Whether that care was genuine or not, she didn't know. She didn't think about it. It didn't stop the pain spreading from her chest. _'I wish I never knew this happened…'_

Panic and fury swirled viciously throughout her. It made her heart pound, her head throb, her fingers harden, arms twitch, gut twist, legs give and body flash back and forth between sweat-pouring heat and incurably chills. Her mind was strewn about, broken into fragments with thoughts smashed into incoherent smithereens. Her logic had been lost, hollowed out of her by the waves of emotions slashing through her spirit like shining-hot swords through sheets of ice.

Her body ached to lash out, destroy things and scream profanities, but she held enough sense to not lose herself to savagery. Yet, unable to properly channel her anger, and with no way to direct it at the now-deceased source, she looked at the spy who brought with her this bad news. The spy looked back at her, sobbing, repeating a mumbled apology over and over. As if it was her fault. Mirellia's emotions acted on her behalf, without consent.

"HOW DARE YOU GET CAUGHT!" Instant regret. The words sprinted out her mouth. In the same second she spoke them, she realized her line of thinking was wrong. But one slip of emotional control was all it took. Mirellia didn't even realize her Shadows were pulling her back, telling her to calm down. She was stuck staring at her spy, crying harder now, apologizing profusely and cursing her own incompetency. As if Mirellia's heart could break any further.

"And thus the Queen reveals her true nature!" But her sanity could. "See her condemn her own spy, as if it wasn't her fault she hired such an incompetent hack!" The chief shook his head with a disgusted expression. The spy trembled, pausing her constant apologies as horror cut into every line on her face. "Melromarc has sinned greatly!" The chief garnered the world leader's attention, spreading his arms wide. "The filthiest of insults have been cast in all our faces repeatedly by this shameful excuse of a country!"

"NO!" Mirellia slammed the table. Faubley soldiers moved behind her. Her Shadows pressed their backs against her, surrounding her in an offensive circle. They were outnumbered, regardless, but she couldn't back down now. "LET ME SPEAK!"

The chief continued, waving her objection away. "They horde the heroes for themselves in a time of worldly need!" Shieldfreeden's leader watched sternly. "They use the possession of the heroes to threaten us from demanding our fair share of their power!" Siltvelt's leader smiled. "And what punishments have they incurred as a result of their greed?" The other Faubley councilman vindictively grinned.

"They lose their King!" Mirellia thought of Aultcray being scorched alive. "They lose their Princess!" The thought of Malty's burning corpse then cursed her mind's eye. "This is divine punishment for acting against the holiest nation of our planet!" Then, the thought of Faubley's wrath dawned on her, with images of the most advanced military marching over the desolate ruins of Melromarc. "Faubley is the mightiest country, and I know all of you here will agree, as it is rightfully so! We are the bloodline of heroes! We are the holiest nation!" The chief smashed his fist on the table, causing eyes to flinch. He scowled at Mirellia. "As a divine country, we shall express the will of God on his behalf! MELROMARC!" His scream was hoarse with righteousness, pointing a bony finger at her. "WE DECLARE WAR UPON YOU!"

Adrenaline sliced through Mirellia in a surging rush. "WAIT!" She screamed, ready to offer herself to the Pig King, if it would save her country. A last resort option, making Melty the Queen prematurely, surrounded by her personally selected council of Shadows until she can hold her own. That is how desperate she was.

"Please…" She nearly vomited at what she was about to do. "Take…me inst-"

"SILENCE!" That ghastly, behemoth voice boomed across the room. The palanquin curtains pulled open, revealing an obese monstrosity which unfurled a repulsive body odor across the table. The sight burned an image of accursed ugliness into any who were not prepared. The Pig King was a disgusting incarnate of depraved carnal perversions, sickeningly indulged for an indeterminable amount of years. He looked nothing like a human.

"I will take YOU. I will take your OTHER DAUGHTER! I will take ALL the women of your country! Thousands of toys to rip and rape and break and destroy!" The Pig King's trunk of an arm waved excitedly, sending bulbous ripples through himself as he did. "The people of Melromarc shall be punished for this blasphemy against my nation!" He turned to his chief councilman. "Kill the men! Steal their demi-human slaves! Bring their women here! We will vanquish Melromarc and claim everything it once had!"

Silvelt's birdman sneered and laughed. They relished the annihilation of their rival country so much, that even the remark about the demi-human slaves didn't faze them. Shieldfreeden's dragonman, however, wasn't as excited, but they knew better than to say something, especially after the Pig King revealed himself. The Faubley soldiers released the spy. She ran around the table and stopped just before Mirellia.

"You're Highness!" Her face, wet with tears and snot, scrunched painfully before she grabbed the bodice of Mirellia's dress and fell to her knees, weeping into her. "I take full responsibility! I apologize for my incompetency! I'M SORRY!" Her cries were hoarse.

Mirellia's muscles went limp, all at once, and she fell back into her chair. Her short, rapid breaths failed to oxygenate her, but as she felt physically squeezed by the tension, she couldn't breathe any other way. Her spy crying against her, all her Shadows shaking her shoulders, the leaders conversing happily about her ruin and countries destruction, faded into a muffled background. All she could think of now, was Aultcray. Every facet of this terrible situation stemmed directly from him. His prejudice of demi-humans, his spoiling of their daughter without punishment, his hatred for the Shield Hero, and his arrogance in disobeying her. She _knew_ she hated him more than anything right now…but at this point, she was too emotionally exhausted to feel it. She was numb.

"You can leave now, Queen Mirellia." The chief grinned, softening his voice to a sinister edge. "We will grant you the right to die alongside your country." His grin vanished, replaced by a stern, piercing gaze. "Do not _let_ our mercy go to waste."

Mirellia was pulled to her feet by her Shadows. Her glazed eyes stared vacantly, unresponsive to her Shadows leading her out the room. Her feet began moving instinctively to keep herself huddled in the middle of them. Her unsteady balance caused her to trip onto them occasionally, but they hurriedly helped her back up and continued forth. The entire time, though she replied to none of their questions, she wasn't silent. She muttered to herself, over and over again, just how much she hated Aultcray.

She lost awareness of her surroundings, drowned in a hopeless despair that numbed her beyond all thought and feeling. She didn't snap back to her senses until she had to unlock the door to her rented room. The Shadows quickly filed inside and gathered their necessities, not touching things they could live without. Melty and the Shadows assigned to her were still out of the room, so one excused themselves to retrieve them. Mirellia walked inside, body shaking with slow steps and cold feet. She clutched her sides, as if holding her fragile self together.

Her heart beat was now a dull thud, too weak to provide power. Her feet felt too heavy to move. She felt ashamed at herself. _'I want…to leave this world. Summon __**me**__ away, will you?'_ She felt trapped, wanting this moment to end, yet stuck to suffer. Then she turned to the side. She went blind to everything in the room, except one thing. A blurry darkness closed on her peripherals, honing in on the portrait of King Aultcray. Slits and rips sullied the otherwise immaculate painting of him, drawn with a majesty befitting of a king.

A flash of heat seared through her cold, numb spirit. Her breathing picked up noisily and her upper arms quivered. "You _fucking_ scumbag…" She seethed with hatred, balling her fists. The Shadows stopped, turning to her. She took a step forward. "You lowly failure…" She spat, stepping forward again. "You arrogant piece of shit, you shameful cretin, you prideful coward!" She screamed louder with each insult, stomping closer each time. "YOU!..." She reached the portrait. "YOU!..." Her fists shook, raised in the air, ready to punch a hole through his face. "YOU GODDAMNED…" Face red, eyes watered and fist cocked back, standing inches away from his portrait…

She dropped to her knees. Her chest caved in and spine curved forward, lips pressed together yet trembling. She heaved out a loud cry, cheeks drenched in the tears she'd held back until now. Her fist plopped weakly against the portrait, only bending the canvas in, gently pulling her hand down against his face. "You _goddamned_ fool!" She whispered amidst her cry. "You disobeyed me, ruined EVERYTHING I worked for, acted selfishly…irresponsibly… and now look where it got you?!"

She turned her face up, raising herself eye level with the painting, realizing that she'll never be able to see him again. "It got you killed! Not only you…" She turned to the other portrait beside his. "But our daughter too!"

Unbecoming of her usually confident, unbreakable self…Queen Mirellia cupped her palms over her face, heaving out unhindered weeps of sheer despair and heartbreak. She wanted to slap them, yet she wanted hold them. Perhaps she would do both if this was a dream after all. Just the longing to merely touch them was painful. Embracing her family members was now impossible. She hunched forward, arms around her stomach, feeling like she'd been stabbed.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. The spy knelt at her side, eyes red and puffy too. "You're Highness…" She tilted her head down, bringing her fist to her chest. "I accept any punishment you see fit for my failure. I just…plead..." Her shoulders heaved. "…for your forgiveness. I have always believed in you, remained loyal, and I support everything you stand for!" She sniffled as a tear dripped to the floor. "I know I let you down, and I am ashamed deeply for it…BUT-"

"No!" Mirellia interrupted, clasping her quivering hands. "It is NOT _your_ fault. I should be ashamed…no." She shook her head. "I _am_ ashamed." The first touch of a smile graced her lips in what felt like forever. "I apologize for my actions back in the conference room. It was a disgraceful, dishonorable display of weakness. It is irredeemable. As your Queen…" She looked the spy in her eyes before lowering herself to the floor, pressing her forehead against the carpet. "I have failed you."

"Huh?!" The spy jumped to her feet and the Shadows stomped up to Mirellia, circling her. "My Queen, please! Stand up!" The spy begged. "You are _stronger_ than this! And the pain _you've_ endured is greater than anything I could ever suffer!"

The Shadows all agreed in a unified shout. None of them could ever know the pain of being betrayed by their own family, losing them, then watching their country die before their eyes. Mirellia lifted herself, surprise bringing a tint of color back to her face. She smiled weakly. "I feel undeserving of your loyalty."

"I don't care!" The spy placed a hand on her chest in relief, smiling big enough to make up for the both of them. "I will remain loyal to you for the rest of my life!" In spite of her Queen's outburst, the spy couldn't shake off the sense of blame. _'If only I had been more careful…' _And so, she vowed to hold this guilt in the form of a debt she swore to repay.

The spy helped Mirellia stand, only to have her slump back down in a chair. The room fell silent. An imposing sense of doom hung in the air.

"So…what next?" One of the Shadows asked. She couldn't hide the nerves quaking in her voice, but she didn't need to. They all felt the same way.

'_Nothing. There is no hope.'_ Mirellia wanted to say, but pressed her lips shut. She didn't want to leave them without an answer for too long, though. "I'm not sure yet." _'The heroes are still much too new to intimidate Faubley's army…and I fear that when their superiority is demonstrated against us…they'll see it is safer for them to abandon us and join them.'_ She looked up at the spy. _'But I can't think of anything else…'_ "Do you know if there is anything that the Heroes want? Something we can offer to convince them to help defend ourselves?"

The spy's face became uneasy. "The heroes are angry at us for summoning them against their will. Particularly the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero." She thought for a second. "But the one thing they've made clear is that they intend on going home as fast as possible."

Mirellia nodded, still too mentally numb and exhausted to feel dejected by the answer. _'I figured most people would get excited at the prospect of becoming a hero for another world, granted with extraordinary power…but I can't say their reaction is hard to believe, either.' _She stared at the floor, holding back her urge to shrug. _'The best thing we can honestly do now…is to return, bid farewell to our loved ones and coordinate groups to escape from Melromarc and beg for refugee status in Zeltobe or something…' _She shook her head. _'But I know they don't want to hear that.'_

She raised her head, and was surprised at the bold postures and eager stances of her Shadows. As she brushed hopelessly at strings of destiny too far out of reach, none of which to grab hold of, her people watched her from behind, supporting her to the best of their abilities. She was their hope. She could either live up to it and fight until her last determined breath, or give up and cause them to fall harder. _'This is no time for feeling tired. Not a time for self-loathing. I'm done with feeling inadequate and frustrated with myself.'_ As hopeless as it seemed, at the least, she owed their loyalty an answer with effort.

She thus sought the absolute root of this whole situation. _'Aultcray betrayed me…and got himself killed.' _It still didn't seem real to her. _'My spy tried to relay this message as covertly as possible, but was caught at Faubley's border. The reason she was caught…' _Mirellia dug through the fuzziness of her recent memories. _'Was because Faubley had heightened their border security. And the reason they did so…' _Then the root she sought had flung up into her memories forefront. _'The church!'_

"My dear." She addressed the spy. "Do you know how Aultcray managed to stop the church from leaking further information out? That is the reason Faubley had made their border security that much stricter…" She could see the guilt flash on the spies face. "My _dear_…" She gently scolded. "It is _not_ your fault. Remember?"

The spy nodded, the side of her mouth curving slightly. With the feeling of debt still fresh, she was eager to give a thorough answer. With the onset of sudden guilt waning, she realized the words Mirellia used to start her question.

"Wait…" The spy blinked, doing a double take. "My Queen, what do you know of these heroes?"

Mirellia furrowed her brows. "Little. All I know is that Aultcray disobeyed my orders, and that the Sword Hero has left to be on his own."

The spy stared blankly at her. _'No way!' _She turned to the Shadows. "Do _you_ know anything of these heroes?" They shook their heads. "Really? Not even the…" She paused in realization. _'The church was responsible for information leaks…but Hajime fired off his weapon on castle grounds…'_

Mirellia tilted her head. "What is it?"

The spy recalled how she carelessly revealed the castle had been destroyed. _'Wait…' _She clutched her chest in relief, extremely grateful for Siltvelt's leader interrupting to mock her. _'So no one outside of Melromarc…' _She thought back to the chief councilman enjoying her humiliation. _'…Knows how powerful these heroes are?'_ She thought of Shieldfreeden's and Silvet's leaders sneering behind him. _'They think we've summoned just normal people?' _The hand over her chest clenched into a victorious fist. _'HA!'_ A touch of a smirk graced the corner of her lips. _'I'll let those fucking assholes figure out how much Hajime and Killua don't give a flying fuck about them!'_

"You're Majesty…" The spy squared her shoulders and straightened her posture. "King Aultcray didn't halt the church's communications." She swallowed a lump, a mix of anxiety and excitement, ready to drop another bomb of unbelievable information. "It was the Spear Hero, the Shield Hero and the Bow Hero working together…though, I'd reckon that the Bow Hero hardly had to help."

A small fluttering tickled in Mirellia's belly. "The Spear Hero and the Shield Hero have teamed up to take on the Three Heroes Church?" She clapped. "This is GREAT NEWS!" Her eyes shined. "I've been working for years to dismantle their power, but if they've started the process, then with their help, we might be able to-"

"Not _take on_, you're Highness." The spy kept her voice steady. "The church has already been defeated."

Mirellia blinked. "…what?"

"In fact…" The spy continued. "They put a Slave Crest on the pope, forced him to admit to his crimes, and rounded up over 100 members for a coalition of knights and adventurers to interrogate. The church _IS_ dismantled! The Three Heroes Church in Melromarc is no more, I daresay!"

"Impossible!" Mirellia's eyes stretched wide as she jumped from her seat. "But…in only a few days, they accomplished this? I don't understand why the church didn't immediately alert other countries that-"

"Not _days_, you're Highness…" The spy's face solidified with absolute seriousness. "_Minutes_."

"Bullshit!" A Shadow yelled. "You are either mistaken, or lying!"

The spy opened her torn cloak, reminding them of the Slave Crest. "Paint another one on me, and ask again. There will not be a single word of mine changed!" She turned back to Mirellia. "Your Highness, these heroes are incredibly dangerous! With the exception of the Sword Hero, each of them have brought powers from their original worlds. However, the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero are of utmost concern here."

Mirellia and the spy maintained strong eye contact with each other.

"So, the castles destruction…?" Mirellia tilted her chin down. "Was this through the Legendary Weapon… or his own power?"

The spies face tensed. "It was with his own power. Weapons he had forged in his previous world. He is not fond of the Legendary Spear, and having witnessed the power of his weapons…I question how much he really needs it."

"You mean to tell me…" Mirellia smirked. "We have such powerful individuals still in Melromarc as we speak?" She flashed her teeth. "This is very much in our favor!"

"Ah!" The spy disagreed, grimacing in panic. "No, my Queen, I don't think you understand. They've expressed nothing but disgust and animosity towards our world. Even the Bow Hero! I consider it the barest of good luck that they've agreed to stop the Waves, but they have no intention, or even a _need_, to listen to the demands from any country in our world." A bead of nervous sweat broke at her hairline, contrasted by a vindictive smile. "Though, that _does_ include Faubley. They are that strong! But they also hate everyone here equally…"

"Answer me this, my dear." Mirellia crossed her arms and raised her chin. "If I can convince these Heroes to help defend our country…would we truly stand a chance against the might of Faubley's army?"

"My Queen, they will not be so easily swayed! This especially applies to the same "hero" that killed King Aultcray and Princess Malty! It would be better if we left them alone while we coordinated escape routes to save as many of our people as we can! Let Faubley incur their anger!"

"My _dear_…" Mirellia's stiff expression didn't change. "That's not what I asked…is it?" Her eyes hardened with conviction, but traces of her fear still lingered beneath.

The spy stared at her, face balanced between uncertainty and hope._ 'Ok…'_ Regardless, she understood what was asked of her. _'I will choose to believe in you, Queen Mirellia.'_ She bared her teeth in a vengeful smile. "If you can convince the Bow Hero and his party to aid our armies, we can put up a promising fight. If you can convince the Shield Hero to aid our armies, our victory is certainly assured. If you can convince the Spear Hero…" She gulped. "Our armies would be unnecessary. He can defeat them on his own, I daresay."

Determination pounded against Mirellia's chest, breaking itself free from the suffocating pressure of unavoidable doom. She began calculating strategies in her mind, running a mile a second. She dismissed any negative thoughts that popped up, forging only mental images of the best-case scenarios. "I will confront the Spear Hero about the unauthorized execution of the King and the Princess." Despite using impersonal terms to keep her emotions distant, a painful grief still caved itself in at her chest, but not enough to deter her. "I will be cautious in my approach." She concocted tactics to manipulate him with.

"Beware, your Highness, but he is good friends with the Shield Hero, and _he_ has demonstrated bewitching levels of intelligence." The spy warned. "He is the reason that, despite not having a Slave Crest, they could ascertain truths from the King against his will. I daresay, he outsmarted Aultcray on many levels…"

Mirellia stared at her for a few seconds, blankly. Then nodded. "Duly noted. I will have to exercise extreme forethought into this matter then." Her voice was rich with certainty; there was no stopping her. Her heart was beating faster and stronger now, resurrected from having been crushed to the verge of an emotional death. Her chest was light, feeling energized enough to leap into the air and fly.

"My Shadows!" She shouted, causing them to fall in formation. "We have pinched only a tiny thread of a thin hope, but if tugging it shall lead us successfully through slim chances, then we cannot say in our hearts that this fight is over!"

They nodded with renewed vigor. Mirellia raised her arm and swung it toward the door in a large gesture. "Then when we return to Melromarc-" She turned towards the door… and stopped dead.

"Mother?" There stood Melty. Concern was written all over her face, soaked into her voice. "Wh-why are we leaving so soon? What happened?"

'_Oh no…'_ At the sight of her daughter, it felt like a needle had been pushed between her ribs, pressing into her heart. No change in plans, but the grief devoured her motivation, returning with a merciless vengeance. She turned to her Shadows again, but this time, her burning determination was smoldered under moist, glimmering eyes. "Please…" The sound was strangled, barely a whisper. "Take our belongings to the carriage. I wish to speak with my daughter alone."

The Shadows did as told. Melty spun her head around, confused and frightened. Each Shadow avoided eye contact with her. Mirellia knelt, leveling herself eye to eye with her daughter. "Melty…" Her voice cracked. "I have…" She gripped her shoulder, uncomfortably tight. "…Terrible news." Melty cupped her mouth, arms shaking, just as the Shadows closed the door. They moved with urgency.

"What happened?" One of Melty's Shadows tried to ask the others. "Why are we running so fast?"

"We're running because, well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to hear the reaction of the second Princess. As for what happened-"

Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough.

"No…NO! NOOOOO!" They heard the shrill screams of the 10 year old Princess, followed by howls of despair. Underneath the sounds of it, Mirellia's devastated apologies could just barely be heard.


	21. Chapter 21

_Authors Note: I divided this chapter into two parts, due to length, but it was written with the intent to be just one. Four self-contained stories, the so-called "montage chapter" I was planning way back in December.** One of them gets dark and violent**, so if that's not your thing...heads up. Won't spoil which part and where though, for those whose thing it is ;)_

_Though at its heart, this story will always be a parody, just know that the dark, violent and serious moments will come up as the story goes on. Honestly though, considering the shows (except Kona suba) crossed over in here…I don't think it's too surprising._

_Also, for future reference, though I honestly do plan to try and stick to a schedule of two weeks after I post a chapter (I say this after almost four weeks working on this chapter lol)…I will post updates on my profile if I'm ever lagging beyond that deadline too far. We'll see, since I'll be working on other projects to help spread my name as a writer._

_And finally, one of the self-contained stories has heavy OC emphasis...but after this, they're just minor side characters. Their story does serve a purpose to the overall narrative, but none-the-less, I do hope you enjoy! Cuz I don't plan on writing a chapter this looooong again (50 ms pages total. For reference, ch20 was 20 pages.)_

**Chapter 21**

**Part 1**

**20 Days until the Wave**

A tiered city poked up from a valley, in front of a mountainous range. Three levels of defensive walls, guarding towns populated by classes proportionate to their level, towered up as if competing with the mountains. A castle proudly perched atop the peak of it all, poking up at a murky grey sky. This was the city of Siltvelt.

Its entrances were well guarded, with access points restricted to specific spots that made possible invasions easy to defend against. The demi-human guards at one of the gate booths were playing cards, passing time on an otherwise normal day. Four of them sat at a round oak table with stacks of coins indicating which of them was winning, each hiding a deck from one another.

One of them was a dogman, tapping his foot hurriedly in frustration, desperate to earn back what he'd lost to the lizardman across from him. With his nerves wound tight, heightened in his state of intense concentration, three loud smashes against the iron-barred window scared the hell out of him. His tapping foot jerked the table up, spilling coins all over the floor.

"NOOOO!" The lizardman screamed, watching his hard won money scatter across the ground…along with a stash of cheat cards falling out of his sleeve. He looked up at the other three with a smile too sheepish for a lizard. Their scornful glares caused him to recoil. Eager to throw the attention off of him, he flew over the table and the angry dogman in a panicked leap, pressing his face against the bar's to see who was knocking so loudly.

It was a man in grimy armor and a cheap helmet. He had a small shield fastened to one arm, and a sword of strange length at the opposite hip. Behind him stood 3 demi-human children, bordering on emaciated and dressed in torn rags. Though the site was alarming, the truth was, they had looked much worse prior to having been taken in by the strangely dressed man. The other guards left the booth to surround this newcomer. "Ow! Ow! OW!" Each of them smacking the lizardman in the back of the head as they passed.

"These demi-human children are orphans." His voice was brusque and monotone. "I was informed that your country acts as a haven for their kind. Can you open up the gate for us and give them sanctuary?" Goblin Slayer was as blunt as always.

"Wait!" Keel squeezed his way in front of him. "I can't stay here! I need help finding my friend back in Melromarc! Goblin Hunter said he'll pay for adventurers to take on the job! I just need someone to help me! Please!"

"Goblin hunter?" The dogman questioned, raising an eyebrow, eyeing the grimy adventurer suspiciously.

Though his silver tag had lost its worth in this world, he had quickly found another way to confirm his identity. Goblin Slayer pulled the sword out its scabbard and transformed it in front of everyone. He then tapped the matrix gem embedded in its hilt. "I was summoned here as a hero."

"THE…THE SWORD HERO?!" The guards yelled in unison.

"Wait, wait!" The lizardman shook his head, pressing his hand to his face. "Why'd the kid call him _Goblin Hunter_?"

Keel put his hands on his hips. "Because he used to slay goblins back in his old world, and he's still worried about them here." He cocked his thumb back at him. "So he's Goblin Hunter now." Then he nodded as if his reasoning was worth a pat on the back.

"So, he was a monster slayer, huh?" The dogman rubbed his chin with an interested smirk.

"Sword Hero-sama…" The lizardman glanced at the other guards, looking to see if he wasn't the only one nervous about his arrival. "You coming here is a complicated thing…" _'Why is he rescuing demi-humans anyway? He was summoned in Melromarc, wasn't he? He should be worshipped there…' _"I'm afraid we can't just let you in as a regular guest. Come with us, and we'll escort you to the castle so you can speak with one of our representatives. The children can come along as well. We will need their testimony too, but after that, I have no doubt they'll be provided the highest level of sanctuary and care."

At this, the two demi-human children alongside Keel hugged each other in relief and gratitude. They bowed to the guards. "Thank you!" In return, the guards each gave a warm smile to the poor children. Then, they both took one of Goblin Slayers hands in both of theirs, clasping his gloved fingers tightly. "THANK YOU, GOBLIN HUNTER!"

"Mm." He nodded, responding bluntly to their shining eyes. He then looked at Keel, who had a nervous wrinkle to his forehead. "Do not worry. I will make sure that a thorough search for your friend is performed." At this, Keel's eyes glazed over in appreciation too.

Their genuine gratitude was not lost on the guards, though neither was the constant reference to a fourth child. "This girl…your friend…do you know where in Melromarc she is?" One guard asked.

Keel shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest, averting his gaze. He knew he was requesting something big, and the fact he didn't know where to help them start made him feel ashamed. "I'm sorry…"

The dogman knelt eye-level to him. "Hey, don't you worry, kiddo!" He pat him on the head. "We'll figure something out!"

He stood back up and whipped a finger at the lizardman. "You! Escort them up!"

"Yeah, you cheatin' cheapskate!" Another guard slapped him on the back, lunging him forward.

"Alright, alright! Geez!" He stretched his back. "It was your guys' fault for getting tricked in the first place!"

The guards yelled as he trotted over with a smile to a dragon-drawn carriage. "Kids! Sword Hero-sama! This way, if you will!"

Once they were pulled through the open gate, the dogman went back in and activated a crystal orb on the round oak table. He came face to face with a rabbitman palace guard. "Hey Bram!"

"Yo!" Bram answered. "You lose money again?"

"Ngh!" His head jerked back, the other two guards laughing at him. "Shut up! But yes…" The dogman shook his head. "Anyway, you'll never guess who just showed up…"

"Who?" His eyes widened with excitement.

The dogman's expression remained stern. "The Sword Hero."

Bram looked surprised…then his face became as stern as his.

"Yeah, that was _my_ reaction…" The dogman said, with a peculiar edge to certain words. The other guards didn't notice. "Which faction is holding the seats today? The Shusaku? Or are the Genmu still at it?"

"Still the Genmu. The Shusaku representative was still in Faubley until two days ago, after they declared war on Melromarc. Since he's still on his way back here, the Genmu are using his absence as an opportunity to push things."

"That's what I figured…" The dogman furrowed his brows, concerned. _'Of course it's them! If that's the case, we need to get the message back to Shieldfreeden ASAP!' _"Keep an ear on how things unfold! I'm looking forward to it!"

Bram's long ears twitched. "Of course, I'll be sure to keep _everyone_ informed." He winked at the other palace guards surrounding him. They smiled, expecting some juicy gossip to spread soon. He intended for that to be their reaction. It was the duty of a spy. _'Kundal should still be hiding around Siltvelt. I'll try to contact her later.'_

[The Siltvelt Palace]

"Sword Hero-sama. Children." A rabbitman guard bowed to them. "My name is Bram. I'll be your escort for today. If you'll follow me this way, Sword Hero-sama, we'll need to confiscate and search your belongings. Safety measures, you see."

"I see." Goblin Slayer nodded, following Bram into the sentry post just outside the palace entrance.

The room was much more lavish than the mere booth at the bottom of the city. It was large enough to host a party of a dozen. A white onyx center table sprout up with two ceramic flagons and several wooden mugs atop it. The guards cleared it for Goblin Slayer to lay his rucksack and satchel upon.

He opened the rucksack, gripped the fabric knot at the top, and slipped out a blanket with its corners tied, holding everything inside together. He meticulously unraveled it across the table. He was careful not to disturb the more fragile items inside, while keeping everything in place as he'd organized it. He repeated the process with the satchel. He pointed at several strange objects spread upon the sheets.

"Be careful with these. They may cause injury if carelessly handled." He turned to Bram. "Unfortunately, I cannot give you my sword. It will return to my scabbard once I let it go."

Bram nodded. "Legends of the Shield Hero make mention of his holy weapon being irremovable. It's only sensible that the same would apply to the other heroes as well." He noticed the children standing eye-level with the table. They were just as baffled and interested by the assortment of Goblin Slayers equipment as the guards were. Even Bram had to admit there were some strange things he couldn't recognize at an immediate glance. But now wasn't the time for inquisitive indulgence. "If you'll come with me, I shall bring you to the highest ranked duke that is present today."

The children looked around, curious yet anxious, while Goblin Slayer hiked with his typical bold and confident stride. With Bram in front, Goblin Slayer following, and the three kids huddled up close behind him, they walked to the castles atrium. Subdued mumbles beyond the walls suppressed the total silence, but just barely, as even their footsteps drummed louder against the ground. It was empty, but ostentatiously spacious.

The hall was wide, enough for a parade to march through, and the ceiling stretched so high that three ladders would need to be stacked to reach it. Keel dropped his head back, pulling his mouth open, gaping at its height until his shoulders hurt. Colored tapestries hung below high windows, spaced by pillars set against the walls every ten steps or so. Everything was immaculately clean. Polished white onyx floors, bright marble slabs coating the brick-stone walls, and patches of bright grey through airy windows divided by pillars supporting a vaulted ceiling.

'_This must be what ruins look like, long ago before goblins take them over.'_ Goblin Slayer mused silently as they walked. He then thought of Idol's mansion. _'That man's property was kept clean too…that's no good. It is beyond a level of education I've witnessed in goblins.'_ He thought of the king that summoned him, Montcrey the carriage driver, the blacksmiths he had forge his weapons, and the various towns people he'd met. The niggling worry, stuck to his heart like a curse since he'd been summoned, spiked at these thoughts. Like he'd encountered something unusual in a goblins nest. _'How many other people have I met here that hide a nature dangerously akin to goblins?'_

Something caught his attention at the end of the hall. It was a short young man only a head taller than Keel. A shell encapsulated his torso and a white snake, seemingly with a mind of its own, stretched out behind him as a tail.

He tilted his head at the sight_. '…that is not a goblin.' _

"Whoa!

"Ah-ha ha!"

Keel and the other two kids pointed and smiled at the snake tail. Bram's shoulders tightened and knees locked, dreading the outcome of this meeting.

"Sword Hero-sama…" The strange man crossed his stomach with his arm and bowed. "Welcome to the city of Siltvelt. I am Orlend the Duke, nephew of the former head representative of the Genmu. Ah!" He shook his head, admonishing himself. "That would be the turtle subspecies of demi-humans. My apologies."

"There is no need to apologize, I did not know that." _'So turtles have two heads? That is interesting…'_

"Hoh? Straightforward, are we?" Orlend smiled.

"Yes. It is imperative that I resume my original goal as fast as possible."

"Hmm? And what might that be?" Orlend then furrowed his brows, worried that the answer might mean trouble for Siltvelt.

"I am confirming if there are goblins in your world." Orlends worry broke into confusion.

"Oi, Goblin Hunter…" Keel tugged on his arm. "I keep telling you, goblins don't exist here."

He turned down to him. "It is possible that they were brought here by means similar to what brought me. We had discovered the book which summoned me here inside a goblins nest, after all."

Keel raised a brow. "We?"

"Anyway-" Goblin Slayer turned back to Orlend, ignoring Keel. "Have there been any instances of crops being stolen, women being kidnapped, or small unidentifiable footprints appearing on property on frontier lands?"

Orlend tilted his head with a puzzled look. "I can't say that anything of the sort has been reported. However, with the exception of women being kidnapped, these sound to be relatively minor cases. But we've had no such things come to light anytime recently."

"I see. Even in this world, it would still be an overlooked matter." Goblin Slayer's helmet faced Orlend. "If you could, I would appreciate a map that marks all the deserted coal mines, unexplored caves, abandoned ruins, and any other location that could be used by creature's best described as nomadic bandits."

Orlend looked at him, perplexed. "And what are you going to do at such places?"

"Map them out and inspect them thoroughly until every corner has been overturned."

Orlend tilted his head slightly, emphasizing the eye under the brow he raised. "…and you are searching for goblins?"

"Or creatures similar to them." He answered without hesitation.

Orlend's eyes flattened. _'Is this really one of the Legendary Heroes? Could it be this man came across this sword by mistake, somehow?'_

"Orlend-dono!" The palace guards ran up to them. "The items he had on him…you should come see them!"

"Hmm?" He saw excitement on their faces.

Keel clicked his tongue. "Do we really have to walk all the way back there? I didn't want to say anything…but I'm really hungry!" He grabbed his stomach, growling on cue.

Orlend chuckled, then waved towards the children. "Please take the kids to our healers. I'm sure after such a long journey, they can use a warm meal, a bath and new clothes."

Two of the children teared up at the prospect of being pampered in the safety of Siltvelt's capital. They skipped up to the Bram's side. Keel was about to join them until he saw Goblin Slayer turn the other way. He sprinted to him.

"I want to stay with Goblin Hunter!" He grabbed his arm, unwilling to let go. _'I have a feeling he'll leave without saying bye, but I can't let him go yet…not until I tell him!'_

Goblin Slayer turned to him. "You do not want to eat? You have been asking me repeatedly to get you food. I've noted your courtesy has decreased blatantly by the hour as well…"

Keel's stomach growled, ending an argument before it started. "Grrr…fine! I'll go eat!" He sprinted back to the other two kids, each holding one of Bram's hands. "But don't go anywhere until I come back!" He pointed and yelled.

"OK." Goblin Slayer nodded, causing Keel to smile. They then went their separate ways.

Orlend followed behind the three guards as Goblin Slayer marched in formation with them. His gait was indistinguishable to theirs. Strong, purposeful, confident, and disciplined. _'He moves like a well-trained soldier, yet exercises such astounding apathy towards the world apart from goblins? Such a strange fellow, he is.'_

They entered the sentry post, circling the onyx center table. Orlend raised his brows as he studied the various objects. The first ones catching his eyes, he'd seen innumerably with other adventurers. There was a hand-held grinding stone, rope, grappling hook, torch sticks and flint. However, as his eyes continued grazing, more unexpected tools came into sight, such as a one-handed sledge hammer, shepherds sling, thermos, a mortar and pestle. After that, the remaining items were strange and unlike anything he's seen.

"What is this?" Orlend picked up a small aluminum sphere with a wick spooling out a tiny hole, its tip tied in a knot.

"It clouds an area with smoke when lit. It is good for hindering sight."

"Hmm, clever. It's made of a malleable metal." He inspected it, impressed, then picked up a small aluminum cylinder, bound tight to a stone, with a wick that had two knots tied at its tip. _'I wonder if these knots are so he can differentiate them in his satchel without looking. Makes sense if he's exploring dark, underground areas.' _"I take it this is not quite the same thing?"

Goblin Slayer shook his head. "That is for incapacitating ones hearing. When lit, it emits a deafening whistle." He turned his helmet down in thought. "It was necessary during one of the caves I was exploring. There was a creature inside that was sensitive to sound."

"Oh?" Orlend studied the firework whistle, turning it in his hand. "Was the legendary sword not enough to take it down?"

"No, it was. Once it was deafened, the sword killed it quite easily." He looked to the weapon at his hip. "The hair around the creature's neck also gave my sword power like lightning. It's been useful."

Orlend smirked, returned the whistler and picked up a protective glass case filled with egg shells. "And what makes these so special?"

"They contain grinded peppers and limestone. If you throw them at an opponent, they will easily shatter and cause your target to tear up and choke."

"Hoh?" Orlend raised his brows. "What a nasty concoction, but I'm impressed!" His suspicion of the hero gave way to a curious admiration. "And what of this thing?" He held up a small bottle with oily liquids sloshing inside and a thick rag tied to the top, smothering its neck. Orlend could feel a flat-head screw stuck into a cork, presumably to make for easy pulling under the rag.

"It's gasoline. I've drilled a nail into the cork so you can pull it out and have it soak the rag tied on top. You can throw it to cause an immediate spread of fire."

Orlends eyes went wide as its odd design suddenly made sense. "Fascinating!" He gently placed it down, picking up a pouch of black powder. "Is this-" He sniffed it. "-Grinded charcoal?"

"Yes. It can filter out poison-" Goblin Slayer paused, staring at the pouch of charcoal. That niggling worry had spiked again, higher this time. He was sucked out of the moment, thrust against his will into an unpleasant memory. Wooden doors creaking before an ominous slam. A canary's panicked chirping. Goblins seeping poisonous gas through the cracks in a concrete wall. He remembered handing out charcoal then as well, making sure everyone bound it to their face with a mask. The images fizzled out, refocusing his vision on the pouch of charcoal. _'They must have a supply with them too. They should. They've been learning…but what if-'_

"Ah, you mean airborne poisons!" Orlend had accepted that Goblin Slayer was an odd individual, and so, he didn't question his sudden silence too deeply. Instead, he deduced the rest of his unfinished sentence. "You filter it through a mask, I presume? I've heard of such being done before."

Goblin Slayer steeled his will, pushing everything out of mind until his focus was rooted, absolutely, without distraction, in the here and now. "Yes. It is a technique I had learned from coal miners."

"Yes, myself as well, I had picked up on such trivia from them!" He then picked up the last strange object he couldn't quite get an idea for. It was a wooden pipe, with metal shrapnel nailed into it. This, too, had a wick coming out the top. "Am I to assume this releases another chemical as well?"

"No." Goblin Slayer shook his head. "It is tightly packed with a volatile substance that ignites. After all my requests, the blacksmiths I worked with seemed excited to experiment with new weapons they could create. This was their product. They say if you light it, it will explode, sending the shrapnel outward through the vicinity."

"INGENIOUS!" Orlend clapped his hands. The guards behind them were impressed as well, their feelings slowly shifting from mockery to curiosity. "I must ask though, Sword Hero-sama, why do you use these makeshift items on your explorations? They seem more fitting for mercenaries who must make do with crude weaponry during a siege with limited resources. Wouldn't your legendary sword and fellow adventurers be able to handle what these things do, but better?

"Why should I leave the chances that arise during these explorations outside of my control?" Orlend and the guards were surprised at his answer. "The matter between life and death can be decided by ones preparation, and that preparation is limited only by one's mind. Imagination is a weapon, and those who lack it are first to die."

An elation spread through Orlend's chest. _'THIS MAN IS A WARRIOR! THROUGH AND THROUGH!'_

"If we are done here, I would like to see that the children are taken care of before I leave." His steeled will couldn't hold down that niggling worry forever.

"Ah wait, wait, wait! About that!" Orlend waved his hands. "This is a _serious_ matter you've brought to us!"

"Goblins?"

"N-no…You were summoned to Melromarc, right?"

"I don't know."

"You…don't know? The name of the kingdom you were summoned to?"

"It is unimportant. I remember landmarks easier." He tilted his head down. "But there was a large castle atop a rocky bluff where I was first summoned."

'_Oh yea, that's Melromarc alright.' _"And these children you've brought with you…were they from that country?"

"Yes."

Orlend narrowed his gaze. "…and what condition did you find them in?"

"Horrendous. Their conditions bordered upon the cruelty of that of goblins. It was inexcusable."

Orlend smiled. "Sword Hero-sama, if you will come this way please, I must document your findings as an official report."

"I understand." Having filed hundreds of reports after guild quests, Goblin Slayer knew the deal all too well.

Over the next hour, Orlend interviewed Goblin Slayer, focusing particularly on his time with Idol Rabier. He was especially pleased to hear about his murder. When it came time to get the children's testimony, they each had a nurse aid by their side, providing comfort. Bram and his guard squad stood behind Orlend and Goblin Slayer, so the kids could see that they were safe to spill their hearts out. They cried as they recounted the torture they endured. Though angered by it, it gave Orlend the full picture he was hoping it would turn out to be; the catalyst for a long-awaited agenda.

"But that's why we have to find my friend!" Keel yelled, making sure he made his point clear. "Idol sold her away, but she might still be suffering just the same! PLEASE!" He yanked himself out from the comforting grasp of the nurse consoling him, dropped to his knees and clasped his hands before Orlend. The guards stepped forward, but didn't do anything more. "I beg you! Can you do something? I'll help in any way I can!"

Orlend stood from his chair and pat Keel's head, reassuring him. "You are brave, young child. Fret not, though. Something will most definitely be done."

Keel turned his head up to Orlend, watery eyes crumpling at his smile. Orlend then turned to Goblin Slayer. "Now, Sword Hero-sama, I'm sure you're unaware of this, having been summoned to our rival country, but your presence in Siltvelt could not have come at a more opportune time."

"Is that so?"

"Most certainly! You see, here in Siltvelt, we are in a state of fluctuating power. Particularly, we have the Shusaku, the bird demi-humans if you will, who exalt the Shield Hero as a holy prophet of sorts. In fact, one of their representatives as we speak should be returning from the kingdom of Faubley."

"Shield Hero…" At this, Goblin Slayer thought of the young boy with white hair and blue eyes. His only impression of him was that he was a young boy with white hair and blue eyes, and a shield his arm. "Why is he exalted?"

"Hmph." Orlend coughed out a snide laugh. "Tradition, mostly. At this point, it borders on mere superstition. You see, Sword Hero-sama, many of the Genmu reject the blind worship of the Shield Hero. We tend to take a more moderate stance on this matter, allowing us to judge with sober reasoning, and to be open to other heroes should they show themselves as worthy allies." He smiled. Bram smirked with a gentle huff, causing similar reactions from the other guards.

"Is that so?"

"Definitely." Orlend sat back down. "Now, I must say, based on my short impression of you, you seem to dismiss much information that you deem irrelevant to your goals."

"Of course. I must remain focused."

"I understand, and that is commendable. However, allow me to explain some things that make this situation quite dire. First thing is first…although enslaving demi-humans is legal in Melromarc…torturing them is against their law. Thus, to find that not only a prominent noble, but a war hero none-the-less, is guilty of such atrocious acts is not a matter to overlook." The two children cringed and stiffened as he mentioned this. Keel balled his hands into fists and grit his teeth. Goblin Slayer noticed it.

"I see."

Orlend grinned. "We've also received word…that Faubley has declared war on Melromarc. This comes after their king, the Cane Hero, had been killed. I'll spare you our history, Sword Hero-sama, but that king was the reason we lost a war decades ago. He was a brilliant strategist, and I speak with respect when I refer to him as the backbone of Melromarc." Some of the guards rolled their eyes. "However…" Orlends eyes darkened. "Now that he's gone…and now that terrible crimes these children were victims of have come to light…"

The nurses grew tense. The children felt their hands on their shoulders squeeze just a tad harder, spreading their concern through them as well.

"I am afraid that avoiding action would be improper, in light of this revelation. Not that Faubley needs our help, but I would prefer the demi-human slaves be brought here instead. So, Sword Hero-sama…" Orlend hid his smile under a stern face. "Can I ask for your assistance in this? I plan to dispatch elite military units through Melromarc in covert operations to rescue slaves." He looked at Keel specifically. "I will prioritize your friend, Raphtalia-chan, with special care. Be certain, Keel, that we will do all in our power to make sure we find her!"

Tears streamed Keels cheeks as he pulled his hands to his chest, giving a big nod to Orlend. Bram's arms tensed, doing his best to withhold a fist from being curled. Goblin Slayer…knew he should feel relieved. Yet, something felt amiss, birthing an uneasy numbness in his stomach.

"For our soldiers to have a legendary hero along their side would be of immense help!" Orlend continued, Goblin Slayers thoughts still scrambling to find the most logical answer for the odd feeling. "Plus…" _'If I can keep him out of Siltvelt, we won't run the risk of him finding human slaves here.' "_You may come across others much like that man you've slain. Though he was not a goblin, I'm sure he was vile enough to remind you of them!"

Goblin Slayer shook his head, speaking aloud an answer for Orlend as well as himself. "The terrain of your land differs greatly from the other country. It is imperative I begin my search immediately to learn of its ecology and assess its habitability for goblins. If you are sending in elite soldiers, they should have training superior to my own in such operations. My presence may also disrupt a preexisting coordination they've developed amongst each other. It would be better if we go our own ways." Something about Orlends last sentence had caused that feeling in his stomach to ache even heavier. _'This feeling…it is like an obligation compelling me to find any possible goblins. It has to be. I don't care if it's just one.'_

"Ugh…I…I see." Orlend stuttered with a troubled face. _'Well…so be it, I should have seen this coming. I'll tell the adventurers I assign him to lead him away from areas that use human slaves in the open.'_ "Well then, Sword Hero-sama, I do have a simpler favor to ask, in lieu of my request."

"What is it?"

"The weapons you've made are brilliant, in more ways than one. They are economic and resourceful, capable of being made en masse for cheap, and some even can be assembled on the spot. This is most advantageous against skilled mages who require time to recite their chants. What I request is that you design one of each of your unique items for our weapon-smiths to emulate, or at least give them a thorough explanation on how to make them.

"In return, I can assign you a group of the best adventurers in our country to help you explore the areas you've requested. I think you may find the help of demi-humans in this regard superior to that of aid from humans. Although, I must say again, I do doubt the existence of goblins in our world…there are plenty other monsters to deal with in caves. It would be a service to both our people, and the growth of our adventurers, to embark on your intended journey. What do you say?"

Goblin Slayer felt a wave of comfort pulsate in his chest. _'It would be extremely helpful to have adventurers from this land exploring its caves.'_ "All I have to do is teach you how to make these?"

"Yes! It would be of vast benefit to teach our soldiers how to forge weapons out of accessible items. We can pay you as well, to compensate for your time."

"Then yes, we have a deal." Goblin Slayer nodded, feeling relaxed. "You can decide how much you want to pay me and how many adventurers you wish to grant."

Orlend tilted his head down, smiling. "Thank you, Sword Hero-sama." _'And just like that, at long last, we can finally begin our return to rule!' _Orlend turned to the nurses and guards. "I want everyone in the army to know the name of Raphtalia. Keel, we will need you to give us as detailed of a description of her, lest a fake or an orphan lookalike should be brought to us."

Keel jumped up. "Let me come along with you!"

Everyone in the room stared at him. Orlend, Bram, the nurses, the remaining guards, the children and Goblin Slayer all turned to him, unable to say a word.

"My dear!" One of the nurses reached out to him. "You are just a child! You have no place on the battlefield!"

"If you're worried about fakes and imposters, then having me will help! I'll know if it's the real Raphtalia or not! Plus…" His shoulders heaved. "Plus…" His voice cracked. "I need to get stronger. So that I'll never be in a situation like that ever again." He looked up at Goblin Slayer, as if his opinion was the one that mattered.

Goblin Slayer nodded. "That is good." It reminded him of himself, after the tragedy with his sister, leading him to his master. He decided to impart upon him the same words that have defined him since. "The moment you make the decision to do something and act on it, you win."

Keel's mouth dropped for a moment, then his eyes shined under a big smile. The nurses were still concerned and the guards were conflicted too, but one thing was obvious, and it was that nothing was going to change Keel's mind now.

Orlend sighed. "Ok, but we will keep you amongst the rear units. They hardly engage in combat on the field. _'…we need this kid and that Raphtalia girl alive at all costs. We might not be able to use him to attack Melromarc now, but I want the Sword Hero on our side for the following years to come! '_ He then turned to Bram.

"Please take the Sword Hero to the weapon-smiths of our military. If we can start this process immediately, we can dispatch Rengir's unit by the end of the week."

"Yes Sir!" Bram saluted. "Sword Hero-sama, this way!" He waited by the door. _'That shelled bastard…he's not telling the whole truth. That wasn't just some war that Siltvelt lost, they were trying to take over the world! He isn't just trying to help the slaves…he wants to indoctrinate them into demi-human supremacy! If it's Rengir's unit, that means Jaralis will be joining them, and he'll train the slaves to be angry soldiers who slaughter anyone that doesn't believe demi-humans are superior…including other demi-humans.' _He turned his eyes to Goblin Slayer walking to him. _'I'll have to pay extra attention to the details he shares, and relay them to Kundal's team.' _However, before Bram could exit the room.

"WAIT!" Keel ran between them. "Goblin Hunter…uh, are you…um…" He tilted his head down, shuffling his feet. "Are you really going to stay here?"

"Yes."

His shoulders slumped. "…To hunt for goblins?"

"Yes."

Keel bit his lip. "Well…then…" His eyes watered slightly. "When I find my friend Raphtalia…we'll come back here then. And…" He clenched his fists. "And…" He squeezed his eyes shut, squeezing a dot of water out their corners. "WE'LL HELP LOOK FOR GOBLINS WITH YOU!" Bram was surprised, but moved.

Keel lifted his head, determined eyes piercing the darkness of Goblin Slayer's visor, _feeling_ the eye contact. "You saved my life! I'll never forget that! Raphtalia and I…we have nowhere to go now…so if you will, Goblin Hunter…" He sniffled, stood straight, and with an energized feeling of conviction, faced Goblin Slayer with an intense expression. "PLEASE LET US JOIN YOU IN YOUR HUNT FOR GOBLINS!"

Even Goblin Slayer himself was taken back by the declaration. Silence passed in the room, no one knowing how to respond. However, for Keel, the world around had dissolved, leaving just him and the mysterious armored man alone, awaiting his answer.

Keel's declaration reminded Goblin Slayer of Priestess when she had first agreed to join him. He thought of the first discussion they had. The one she chastised him for, telling him it wasn't much of a conversation at all. "I'm going with you. I can't leave you alone." An unexplainable pain speared his heart, almost bringing him to his knees. The image of her in his mind; just that mere thought. But he ignored it. Denied that feeling, forcing it down while focusing on the little demi-human child before him.

'_This feeling…'_ His mind drew back to the memory of poison spreading in a locked room. He turned his helmet to the side, breaking the eye contact with Keel and giving him control over his own thoughts again. "Do as you wish." Only Cow Girl and Priestess would have picked up the lack of enthusiasm, almost restlessness, in his tone. It was subtle enough to go unnoticed even by a demi-humans ears. So thus, to Keel, Goblin Slayer had sounded the same way he always did. He couldn't have been happier.

"Thank You!" He bowed. "You'll like Raphtalia-chan! She's brave and strong-willed and inspiring!" With enthusiasm and resolve punching his feet against the floor, Keel ran to the palace guards. He turned around, threw his arm high in the air for a final wave, and then disappeared with them. Goblin Slayer could feel his stomach sinking as he left his sight, ruining the relaxation that graced him moments earlier.

Bram led him out a set of doors, walking along the curtain walls of the castle. The sky was still bleak with grey clouds, slightly darker than when they first arrived. The walk from the atrium to the soldiers training grounds served to bring Goblin Slayer through many of the castles more defensive elements.

They passed arrow slits, crenellations, battlements; all sorts of features designed to hide in, attack from, and utilize strictly for combat and warfare. The potential danger that goblins could pose in these was hardly fathomable. Yet, despite that, Goblin Slayer didn't pay it any attention. The feeling in his chest, now spread to his stomach, had never quite left.

"How will they take care of Keel during your infiltration mission?"

"Personally, I'd prefer they don't take the child along." Bram said. "But I can see he's going to persist, and if we do want to find this girl, having someone who can trace their trail and give details _would_ be helpful."

As they went to take a turn through a conical tower, two demi-humans waiting there had forced Bram to pause his answer. One was a lionman, with a thick burgundy mane framing fiery orange eyes. The other was a tigerman, to whom smiling seemed incapable. A line of gnarled skin cut into the fur across his face, diagonally between mean eyes. His nose crinkled while taking in the scent of Goblin Slayer.

"So this is the Sword Hero, huh?" The tigerman's voice was raspy and displeased.

Bram closed his eyes. "In case the matrix gem in his sword didn't give it away, Rengir…yes. Yes it is."

Rengir snorted, letting Goblin Slayer and Bram pass. "Of course, a _fucking_ human. A rotten smell to him, too." Bram's ears twitched, picking up on Rengir's hushed voice. He then started following behind, joined at his side by Jaralis the lionman.

Bram knew they were observing Goblin Slayer, but paid their presence little mind. "Anyway, Sword Hero-sama, I believe what they'll do is place Keel in a back-up unit at the rear. The chances of them engaging in combat is the lowest of all units. Not to mention, their missions are repatriation and reconnaissance. Fighting at all will be kept ultimately low."

"Ultimately low?" Jaralis scoffed. "Yeah, whatever you say, _hopper_."

Goblin Slayer stopped walking, turning around. "Do you expect difficulty in avoiding combat?"

Jaralis greeted him with a mischievous smirk. "No, you misunderstand, it's not that! Don't you worry about it, _Sword_ _Hero-sama_, the kid isn't coming with our squad anyway. It's just…" His eyes narrowed. "Let's just say, some of us have bones to pick with a certain species." _'And if human flesh just happens to be in the way of those bones…'_ He walked past them, rubbing his hands together.

"Or piece of face to pick off…" Rengir whispered to himself, following Jaralis. Bram's rabbit ears caught the words easily. As a mere palace guard though, he couldn't speak back to a mercenary leader without repercussions to endure. Even more seriously, as a spy of Shieldfreeden, drawing unnecessary attention was pure foolishness.

"My point was, Sword Hero-sama, since Keel insists on joining, we have other units that can keep him safe during their mission."

They continued walking. Despite his bold and confident stride, Goblin Slayers nerves focused his attention elsewhere. The slight pain in his chest, the ache in his gut, just couldn't be willed away. _'What is worrying me so deeply?'_ He had been aware of the feeling, even managing to suppress for a time he hadn't kept track of, whilst he escorted Keel and the children.

Now, however, it kept wriggling against the inners of his chest, tightening his abdomen, tingling in his fingers if he didn't get it under control. He looked to Bram at his side, contemplating his explanation. It was the most logical source of his bottled anxiety. _'Will Keel __**really**__ be safe?'_ In fact, with that in mind, he couldn't help but feel his concern grow stronger. It climaxed to a short sting that assaulted the center of his chest. The thought of Keel being so far away, outside of where he could protect him, after such a passionate declaration…

How could he not worry? He doesn't _ever_ let anyone roll the dice.

**14 Days until the Wave**

A kitsune's fox-tail hung low, held stiff to keep from swaying as she walked. Her shame in its existence was evident with every step. If she could press her fox-ears down against her head, hiding them too, she would have done so every waking moment. She walked through a lavish corridor, rich with gold-framed portraits, silver lanterns to give light at night and exquisite ornaments decorating every which way the eye could flit.

Yet, the beauty surrounding her was meaningless. Artificial covers that made flashy illusions of the chains that bound her. What point was there, to be surrounded by riches, if one were just as much of property as the ornate possessions, perched inanimately, around them? A young fox demi-human by the name of Lyrsia was just one of tens of thousands for whom this question concerned. The answer, unfortunately, was that there was no point. Unless one considered a future of unwilling servitude to be a point in any respect of the word. Lyrsia did not. The mansion she served in, within which she knew every room and how many steps to reach them, was no mere mansion.

It was a prison. And her sentence was slavery.

An arched doorway, framed with two glass doors opened wide, led into an office. A heated discussion was engaged, and she didn't want to redirect their irritation unto herself by making her presence known. The stress forced the muscles in her arms to stiffen. This kept the tea tray she held exceptionally still, pinched tightly in her grip, and thus the tea cups upon it made no sound. Lyrsia hesitated in the hall, still out of sight. She stood in the shadow of the window sill, letting the sun paint the wooden floor in front of her. She made sure her reflection wasn't visible in the polished steel of the doorway.

"-impossible to start riots now, since so many of them fear the Spear Hero. The remaining members are going to flee and regroup in Zeltobe." A man's voice paused, presumably to puff from a pipe, if Lyrsia's nose didn't deceive her. "For us staying here, we are to act as if we've always been atheists. Like we've never had ties to the church!"

"Bah! They couldn't have killed the damned bitch instead!" A woman, unforgiving in her heartless opinion, spat curses. "Why did it have to be King Aultcray who died?"

"Hm. A missed opportunity, a shame indeed." The man's voice was more composed. "After all the gold we Nobles spent to keep slavery going…if she had died, we could have persuaded the King to remove the restrictions she continues placing on it."

_'Church? Dead King?'_ Lyrsia kept still, steadying her breath so not even her fox ears caught a whiff of sound from her.

"In my opinion…" The man took another puff. "If it wasn't for him, it's possible that the Queen may have outlawed slavery long ago. The self-righteous whore, has she no concern for how it would ruin our economy?"

"A whore indeed!" The woman laughed. "She only married him because he was the Cane Hero. She used him to enforce her will across the country, daring to place a sanctuary of _demi's_ on our soil! Hmph!"

Lyrsia's face fell_. 'I…never even had a chance to see that sanctuary…I just changed slave owners instead…' _Hurt by the eavesdropped conversation, she tip-toed silently back down the hall.

"Regardless, this is the reality of our situation. I know it will be hard, but we should liquidate any remains of our relics from the Three Heroes Church. Denounce any affiliation, feign indifference towards their destruction. Perhaps we should pay those false heroes' establishment a visit. I've heard it's filled with machines that can make you instantaneously rich at the pull of a lever, should luck be in your favor. It sounds too good to be true, but seeing as how we've lost a few members to it-"

Lyrsia walked back up the hall but with louder footsteps to give them the chance to change topic. The man cleared his voice.

"I must say, I'm excited for our daughter's date tonight!" A convincing enthusiasm colored his voice.

"Oh yes, all the sons of the Traymar family are upstanding young gentleman!" With creepy ease, the snide sound of a bitch was replaced by the casual voice of a happy mother. "Though, I'm more than certain that this son in _particular_ is something rather special!"

'_Traymar's… They're that family with a dozen sons, aren't they?'_ Lyrsia just caught the man rolling his eyes as she walked in. Around the corner of a bookshelf, a husband and a wife sat in rocking chairs, facing each other, separated by a tea table. It smelt of burning tobacco mingling with scented oils, attempting to mask the smoke. "Master Thaniel, Mistress Kassine."

"Ah, it's you. Set it down there." Thaniel nodded at the table.

Lyrsia could feel Kassine glaring at her as she set the tea down. She did her best to ignore the feeling of it boring into her soul.

"Fox, dear…" She spoke in a sweet voice, the deceitful kind that raised goosebumps.

"Yes, Mistress Kassine?" Reluctantly, Lyrsia made eye contact with her. It felt as if her life was being chipped away, every second their eyes remained locked.

Kassine gave her a warm smile. "Would it be such an inconvenience for you to wear a bonnet over those horrendous ears?" She spoke with that sweet, sweet voice. "Why, if you hadn't learned how to tuck that tail of yours away, I'd have had it chopped off long ago." Lyrsia's elbows and knees trembled, her ears and tail feeling like filthy stains stuck to her. "Oh, I do wonder though…if I force her to do it herself through her Slave Crest, and force her to deny _I_ gave the order, do you think that counts as slave torture?"

"I don't think that's wise, my love." Thaniel suggested softly, careful to not displease the Matriarch of their house. "Why carve up a _demi_ to mimic the image of a human? Before you know it, she'll think she's one of us!"

'_I would NEVER think such a thing!' _Lyrsia had mastered the skill of hiding her true feelings under a mask of unperturbed obedience.

Kassine shot a glare at Lyrsia then leaned back with a scoff, turning away from her at last. Thaniel picked up the tea and sipped it slowly, checking to see if it was to his liking. The lack of change in his expression meant that Lyrsia had done well brewing it.

"Fox, go check on Kara and see to it if she needs any help preparing for her date tonight." Thaniel waved her away.

Lyrsia cringed on the inside, but bowed anyway. "Yes, Master Thaniel." Careful not to let her eagerness to leave show in her step, she turned away from them and walked with forced timidity. She could feel Kassine's hateful stare piercing into her back, particularly at her tail.

A slow, calculated walk down the staircase gave her a small break between dealing with family members. She breathed deep and exhaled slowly, looking out a window. The front lawn was large, but didn't stretch so far that its end was out of sight. A cabin stood at the end of their property, with a total of six guards patrolling the edges. It was a poor distraction. _'I hate this girl, I hate this girl, I hate this girl…'_ She tried to wipe her emotional slate clean before interacting with the first daughter, but it seemed impossible.

Kara was 15, only a few years younger than herself, yet had a personality that proved beyond doubt she was Kassine's daughter. Out of the two daughters, she was the one Lyrsia hated more. Not that she liked the other one, Kora, but she was, at least, easier to interact with…in a twisted sort of way.

Lyrsia stood before a set of Maplewood doors. She lifted a trembling hand before it. "Mistress Kara?" Cold fingers knocked against it. "Your parents had asked me to provide assistance you may need before tonight."

"Need!?" The snide, bitchy voice only a few octaves lighter than Kassine's hissed from the other side. Lyrsia's heart raced when angry feet stomped their way to the door. It tore open, forcing her face-to-face with the spiteful glare of a girl just her size. "I don't _need_ anything from an animal on hindlegs!"

Lyrsia grimaced. A demi-slave being near Kara automatically upset her, and utmost precaution had to be taken just to get on her _slightly_ good side. "My apologies, Mistress Kara! Your parents must have figured that if there was a mundane task you would like completed as you get prepared, then you take priority for my service over them!" She tilted her head down, hunching her shoulders and hiding behind her hands, making her look smaller than her.

"Hmph!" Kara tilted her nose up, further accentuating the forced height difference. "Come in, then. I'll have you brush my hair while I do my make up."

Lyrsia's nose crinkled when she walked in. The smell of perfume was suffocating. Kara sat in an oak throne chair, facing a large vanity mirror framed by porcelain ridges molded into a repeating pantheon of the three hero's weapons._ 'Is this mirror a relic they have to get rid of, too?' _Her lips stiffened._ 'I don't look forward to being around Kara when they do that…' _Lyrsia pulled the comb through her hair, gently tugging against any knots she encountered until they gave way.

"I'm going on a date tonight with a boy from the Traymar's family." She stated flatly, leaving Lyrsia unsure if it was a taunt, a brag, or just words to fill the silence of honest boredom.

"I've heard." Either way, Lyrsia didn't want to overstep her boundaries. Especially since those boundaries with Kara are as tight as a noose.

"Have you been on a date before, Fox?"

Lyrsia tensed. "No. I've never had the chance." _'I don't think I'll ever have the freedom to.'_

"Just wondering." Kara grinned, intending to taunt. "You suck at combing hair, by the way." She spoke with a shrill tone, fully knowing its sound made people want to strike her. "Must be because those ugly _beast_ ears get in the way when you comb that overflowing fur on your scalp."

Her fox ears twitched, then drooped. _'I...I thought my hair looked just fine…'_

"I like her ears, though!" Another girl's voice sung.

"Tch!" Kara clicked her tongue. "Kora! Get out of my room, I'm getting ready for my date!"

Lyrsia felt a small relief bud inside her, easing off the edge of her nerves.

"Eehhh?" The younger girl pouted. "But in two years, I'll be your age! Shouldn't I see how to get ready?"

"NO!" Kara stood, knocking the comb off her head as Lyrsia fumbled to catch it. "This is MY room! You have your own, so go lock yourself in it!"

"Well then!" Kora grabbed Lyrsia by the arm. "If all you're gonna do is make fun of Foxy's ears, then I'm gonna play with her in my _locked_ room!" She stuck her tongue out at Kara.

Though her grip wasn't all that tight, it was the perfect excuse for Lyrsia to leave.

"H-HEY!" Kara screamed, but Kora just laughed it off as she ran down the hall, through her doors and slammed them shut.

"Phew!" She skipped to the bed and hopped on, feet dangling off the side. Lyrsia knelt on the floor before her. "Good girl!" Kora reached out and pat her. "Mommy doesn't like it when you're on the bed." She smiled and put a finger to her lips. "I don't care that much…but mommy has ways of finding these things out. Hee hee hee!"

"Well, it is best to listen to your mother." _'It will spare me getting punished, that's for sure.' _She had sat on Kora's bed with her once, at the insistence that Kassine would never find out. Until Kassine burst through the doors, caught her in the act, and punished her with shocks from her Slave Crest. Lesson learned.

"Yeah, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me again. That was my fault…" Her expression fell, then she hopped up reinvigorated. "Oh! Here, try this on! I made it as a sorry!" She lifted an amateurish patchwork of her favorite-colored fabrics sewn together. "It's a costume! Isn't it nice?"

Lyrsia nodded. "Yes, it's beautiful, Mistress Kora!"

"Yayyy!" She clasped it around Lyrsia's neck and pulled the cowl up. There were little holes for her fox ears to stick through. Kora handled them delicately when she pulled them through, careful not to hurt Lyrsia. "Okay!" She sat back on the bed, admiring her handiwork.

'_Well…it's kind of comfortable, I'll give it that.'_ Lyrsia thought, making her fake smile that much easier to pull off.

"Alright Foxy, now…open wide!" She pulled out a little beige ball from a drawstring pouch.

Lyrsia winced. "Mistress Kora?"

"Yes?" She tilted her head curiously.

"Do you, by any chance, have any other treats?" She stiffened her face to hide her disgust.

"Hmm…let me see." Kora ruffled further into the pouch.

'_That's not what I mean!'_ The cringe almost broke through.

"Ah!" She pulled out a little sand-colored cube. "Here we go! Now, say aaaahhhh."

Lyrsia pulled her head back, her throat and stomach clenching in refusal. She forced her mouth open anyway. "Ahhhh."

Kora threw the cube and Lyrsia jerked her head to the right to catch it.

"Yaaayyyy! Foxy, you're so talented!"

Lyrsia bit down on the cube. The taste may have been awful, but it was doable. It was the fact that she was eating snacks meant for farm animals that humiliated her more than anything. _'She thinks I'm a pet.'_

"This is why the kitsune is my favorite kind of animal, they're so smart!" She fished out another treat. "Again, again!" Lyrsia gulped the barn feed with as little chews she could get away with. She managed to keep a straight face as she did, then swallowed continuously to get the taste out her mouth. A literal wash, rinse and repeat as Kora cocked her arm back for another one.

Hours dragged by at the pace of an old snail. Lyrsia was helping Kora sew more features onto her costume, when a metal peek-hole in the door open with a clank. Kassine's vicious eyes stared through it. She had it installed after she found Lyrsia on Kora's bed, and whenever she was in her room, she would peek through without warning.

"Fox!" Her voice was bitter, as always. "Go prepare dinner! Kara's date will be here in the next hour, and I want you busy while the Traymar boy is here."

Lyrsia stood and bowed. "Right away, Mistress Kassine."

She heard her impatiently march away from the door. After bidding farewell to a busy Kora, she made a quick stop at the bathroom. She washed her mouth out, hawking up any remains of the barn feed she'd eaten. Then, despite her willing herself to stay composed, she cried. The tension of the day had cracked her, earlier than usual. It wasn't until she was alone in her sleeping quarters that she would normally cry. The tears came out without control, the sound of her sobs masked by the running water of the sink.

'_Not now!'_ She couldn't let herself be discovered like this. She pinched her cheek, hard, feeling as if she deserved the pain. She managed to get herself under control then. When she turned the sink off, she found herself surrounded by complete silence. She was alone; every member of her masters family busy elsewhere. The corridor she walked down now was dim, the hall lanterns only spreading hushed yellow light too weak to cast shadows. The outside world had a white glow to it from the moon above. The torchlights of the guards were also visible in the distance. As she neared the kitchen, the sounds of a little boy at play became clearer. In the dining room, with more lanterns and candles to brighten the area, was a child of 6 years. He was swinging a toy sword at an enemy only his imagination could see.

"Har! Har Har!" He jabbed his toy sword in the air. "Stay back, monster! I'm the mighty Sword Hero!" A thin wooden helmet kept sliding down his round head, catching on his plump cheeks, forcing him to push it up after a few jabs. His stubby arms fumbled to readjust it as his short legs stood awkwardly with the sword dangling against them, under a well-fed belly. His big, bright eyes shined when he got it to fit his head just the way he liked it.

It was the first time, since being bought by this family, she had been able to see him without the company of a relative. In spite of everything, she found the boy adorable. His playfulness sucked her in, transfixing her on the innocence of a little boy lost in his childish world. There was a slight envy as she watched him, since she'd never had a childhood like his, but she allowed herself to enjoy the sight regardless. She needed a moment of respite from her stress. He fixed his helmet and nodded with a triumphant huff.

"Now, where did that monster go…Huh?" He noticed Lyrsia standing in the dining room with him. "It's a demi! Haaaarrrrrr!" He charged towards Lyrsia. "Die, you evil demi!" The toy sword poked her in the stomach. The boy was extra careful not to hurt her. He looked up at her with a toothy smile. "I gotcha, I gotcha!"

"Evil?" Her moment of respite shattered, crumbling around the image of the adorable child thrusting a toy sword at her, declaring her to be a monster worth slaying. "Why…?" Her voice was the barest of sounds. "What makes me…evil?" She sniffled as tears welled, against her will again, flowing over until they streaked her downturned nose, falling onto the little boys face.

"Hehhhh?" Korbin, the young boy of only 6, scrunched his face with genuine concern. "Wait! I'm sorry, Fox lady! You're a _human_ evil!" He hugged her legs, rubbing her calves in an attempt to console her the best he could.

_'Stop touching me, just leave me alone!_' She shook her head, trying to make sense of his incomprehensible statement. "A human evil? What does _that _even mean?" She held back her urge to yell at the child.

He patted her knees excitedly. "Mommy and Daddy and Church says that demi's are evil and humans are good. And since you're good, that means you're a human evil!"

"What?" She scrunched her face with a slight headshake. "Master Korbin…do you know what _evil_ means?"

"It means demi!" He replied proudly, as if he was showing off he knew the meaning of a difficult word.

"No…" She frowned. "Evil means _bad_, Master Korbin. _Bad_. Like monsters, and the Waves."

"Ohhhhh!" His big, inquisitive eyes glistened with the magic of young intelligence at work. "So that means they think that all demi's are bad too!"

"Yes, exactly…" Lyrsia sighed. _'Can you get out of here, kid? I can't deal with this right now.'_

"But then… I'm confused, Fox Lady." He tugged at her wrist.

Lyrsia exhaled slowly."Confused about what, Master Korbin?"

He hopped a few times, yet frowned. Like he had been holding onto this question for a long time, finally finding someone to answer him. "How are demi's evil when they're not all bad?"

She blinked rapidly. "What?!"

"Like you! You're not bad _or_ evil!" He smiled again, flashing his toothy grin. "You're just a people with a fluffy tail and furry ears!"

She inspected his face, looking into his childish eyes, dazzling with innocence and wonder. _'No way…'_ "Master Korbin…" She whispered, urging him to follow suit. "Can you tell me…what you really think of demi's?" Her eyes held strong contact with his, body holding still in hopeful expectation.

"Ohhh! It's secret time?" He whispered too, then looked side to side, and waved for her to come closer. She brought her ear next to his mouth. "I don't like the way mommy and daddy treat demi's."

Lyrsia was unable to reply. A sadness too real for a child to feign crumpled up his face. "I watched demi children like me while playing up in my room, and they're so sad! I want to invite them to play, but mommy gets super angry when I say that, and daddy says that I'm not ready to have a pet! But they're not pets! Dogs are pets! I think about if I would want that to happen to me, and I don't Fox Lady, _I don't_!" Korbin gripped the hem of Lyrsia's rag-of-a-dress. "Why does the church say you're evil?"

For a moment, she was stuck stunned. Silent. Her puffy eyes were wide, staring intently at the little boy who had showed her more humanity than anyone she'd met. "I..I, I-I…don't know…" She stuttered, shaking her head, paranoid that he was lying to her. "Why do you…feel bad for demi's?"

"Why do I feel bad?" Korbin cocked his little head curiously. "Because they're sad! And they look hurt! That's why, every night when I pray to the three heroes, I pray that they will help the demi's become happier!"

Lyrsia brought her hand to her chest, feeling moist in her eyes. It was like she'd just uncovered a diamond amongst the depths of mud and manure. _'This boy…I'm in shock!'_

She took hold of his shoulders. "Mas…" She thought hard about dropping his honorific. "…Korbin, listen. Don't ever forget the way you feel about demi-humans now. You can be a hero for us! Just like the one you were imagining!"

Korbin gasped. "I can really be a hero?"

"Of course! And the people you can save, will be demi-humans! Like the kids you saw and felt bad for!" She chuckled, a warmth caressing her emotional wounds. "I am surprised to meet a human who understands that we just want to live our lives like you." She glowed with hope, seeping tenderly into her thoughts, putting images of a better future in her mind's eye. _'This can be the start of something great!'_

Korbin jumped happily, drawing in a deep breath through an open smile. "Fox Lady, does that mean I can talk to you about this? Everybody else gets angry and says I'm wrong, but I'm not, right?" He grabbed her sleeves, hopping excitedly. "I'm not, right?!" His eyes conveyed his desperation to be confirmed, to be reassured that the prejudice he was being forced to accept was wrong. A spirit of true nobility, beyond the falsely applied title, shining in a one-in-a-million chance, finally finding its outlet.

'_Out of all the slave owners in Melromarc…how lucky could I be to find someone like this in the very house I serve?'_ Lyrsia's smile reached her shimmering eyes. Her insides felt like they were vibrating. It took willpower to withhold herself from hugging Korbin tightly. "Of course! You are not wrong!"

"Yaaayyyyy!" He raised his arms and screamed.

"Shhh, SHUSH!" Though she was frantic to keep him quiet, she still smiled as she pressed her fingers to her lips. She turned around, making sure no one was there. The dim lights outside the dining room may have cast no shadows, but not a sound was heard either. She blew out an uneasy breath. "Remember, this is a secret, right?"

"Right!" He whisper-shouted. "Sorry, Fox Lady…"

She rubbed his head, smothering the helmet into his hair. _'I should hold off on telling him my real name. Since he's just a kid, he might accidentally blurt it out in front of his family, and that'd be bad if he's not calling me Fox…however, I'm not letting this opportunity go to waste.'_

"You are very right, Korbin! In fact, you know who is wrong? The church! Your parents! It is _they_ who are wrong!" Though it was inevitable, she had to be careful not to let her spite bleed too deeply into her voice. They were his _family_, after all. "But don't let them know that you think that, or else they will keep getting angry. They just don't understand. Many humans don't. But, _Master_ Korbin…" She resumed the honorific, realizing that she would have to keep up the image too. "If you can keep this secret between us, then you-"

"MOM! DAD!" Kara's voice screamed from around the corner, out of sight. "THE FOX IS PREACHING HERESY TO KORBIN!" She showed herself, smiling with a sadistic grin, then bolted up the stairs. "MOM! DAD! I CAUGHT THE FOX PREACHING HERESY! SHE'S TRYING TO CONVINCE KORBIN THAT DEMI'S ARE HUMAN!"

Lyrsia's jaw dropped. _'NO!'_ She shuddered and felt her body become cold. _'Oh my god, NO! PLEASE!'_ A terror like she'd been sentenced to death gripped her by the throat. She pinched her cheek again, tighter this time, leaving a mark bound to bruise. This was no nightmare…this was real life. _'I fucked up. I FUCKED UP!'_

Korbin had ran to the bottom of the stairs. "Kara, stop! You heard wrong!" He wanted to run up the stairs and try to trick his sister, but the sight of Lyrsia curling up on the floor, grabbing her head and yanking her fox ears down was of greater concern to him. "Fox Lady, are you OK?"

She hardly noticed him. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" She aimlessly heaved out desperate apologies, all out of options, not knowing what else to do. "I MADE A MISTAKE! I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE, I'M SORRY!" Her body trembled in fetal position, voice shaking and tears leaking in a steady stream.

Korbin crumpled his brows. "Fox Lady…" He tried patting her hands, clutching her ears to her head.

Then he was ripped away from her by a forceful thrust at his arm. "What the HELL is going on here!" Thaniel snarled.

Korbin was quick on the uptake. "Daddy, she didn't do anything, I swair!" He turned his eyes up at Thaniel but kept his chin tilted down, an unconscious quirk he committed when lying. The little boy was too honest for his own good.

Thaniel glared at Korbin, letting him know with a single look that he was to expect punishment. He turned to Lyrsia with an even nastier glare. "How _DARE_ you!" His tone grinded like a jagged sword against dry whetstone. "We let you sleep inside _our_ house, rather than a stable, out of the kindness of our hearts, and you repay us by corrupting our most impressionable child with BLASPHEMY?!"

"NO! That's not it! I was…I was…" She whimpered, not knowing how to explain herself. "He was just talking to me-"

Kara strut arrogantly before her with a smug grin. "Fox said that Korbin should _lie_ to us while she teaches him about demi-human supremacy!"

Lyrisa's heart stopped beating as she stared at Kara, then resumed with a rapid vengeance against her ribs. "N-NO! I NEVER SAID THAT!"

"Bad Foxy, bad!" Lyrsia looked behind her, finding Kora pointing at her with a displeased expression. "No more treats for you!"

Lyrsia sobbed, feeling betrayed by Kora's words. Sickened and ashamed at her own desperation, she crawled in front of her, on hands and knees, and lowered her head…hoping to elicit her urge to pet her. To appeal to her as the pet she thought she was, in hopes that having one family member on her side would help persuade the others. She hated herself for it, but was too scared to care. Then Kassine stomped in behind Kora, face twisted with bitter fury.

"You filthy, treacherous cunt!" The sound of her slap was sharp enough to sting everyone else's ears. It struck the same cheek that she already pinched.

"AH!" Lyrsia's body turned with the force of it. She fell over and curled up, trying to make herself seem small and harmless, fearful that the slap was hardly the start.

"I fucking swear, if that whore hadn't made torturing slaves illegal…" Kassine's face was ragged, ironically with an animalistic rage. "Get her out the house!" Her voice was piercing and grating, like two knives cutting into each other. "Tie her by the neck to a tree! Don't let her inside unless a guard has her on a leash! Keep her away from Korbin! NEVER LET HER NEAR HIM!...In fact…"

Kassine tore the collar of Lyrsia's rag-dress, exposing her Slave Crest. "Let's hire a court magician to set this thing so that if you EVER say another word to Korbin…it will _kill_ you."

She saw the hurt in Korbin's eyes at this order. Lyrsia accidentally let slip an uncontrollable wail, tears pouring through eyes squeezed shut. A golden chance to create a positive change for the future had just been severed from her hands. Not just her own future, but for all demi-humans. To have a Noble care for them was a blessing in its own right. To have that Noble live with a demi-human, to learn from and work with, until he had the power to fight for them, was an unbelievable opportunity that rivaled something short of a miracle.

But that chance was ripped from her desperate clutches, and now her life was to become much, much worse. Moments ago, she had thought herself lucky. Now, however, misery and suffering awaited her like punishment for such a foolish thought. Maybe the god of the Three Heroes Church was real after all, and it had teased her hopes as high as it could rise, only to make her plunge into despair that much harder. She would most likely die a slow and withering death that bordered on the edge of legality. Her life was all but over.

Though, has it ever been anything else? She had no family, no friends, and the one ray of hope she happened to find was crushed before her eyes like a sadistic joke. It was hopeless. There was nothing she could do. The worst part was, in the end, this was no isolated case; she was just one out of tens of thousands. She was just a slave.

At her lowest point, the word _'suicide'_ flashed in her mind.

Suddenly…every window around them shattered, stones crinkling to stops over glass shards. The angry shouts all climaxed into a unified scream. Then it was silent; except for a hissing sound. They noticed the rocks had small cylinders tied to them, and wicks shrinking under sparks.

"Cover your ears!" A tiny voice whispered at a volume only her fox hearing could pick up. "Run upstairs while they go off!"

"Huh?" Lyrsia turned to the nearest broken window. Hanging upside down on the sill, a bat watched her with intelligent eyes.

She did as told, pressing down on her ears. Through the flesh of her palms, she could hear a whistling screech so piercing that pressing harder still didn't stop it needling her eardrum. She could only imagine what it did to the family who plugged their ears a second too late.

She lurched forward and sprinted up the stairs, passing the family. All the lanterns were out, submerging most of the floor in darkness. Only by the windows did the glow of moonlight provide a gentle luminescence. When the screeching downstairs stopped, she released her ears. Outside, she heard the sounds of the families guard engaged in a fight. She ran to the window. A single glance was all that she needed to see that they were losing. An ambush of strangers in black garb, triple the amount of guards, were taking them out in coordinated groups.

She hyperventilated, whimpering in fear, when a terrifying thought had struck her. _'We're being attacked by rivals!' _In her panicked state, she became hyperaware of every sound and movement around. She heard the family running from the dining area toward the stairs. She noticed the bat beat them up the stairs and fly into the darkness. She heard the losing battle of the guards outside. She noticedseveral cherry-sized metal balls with lit wicks roll across the ground, from the dark in which the bat had hid. _'It's…it's not fair! I had NOTHING to do with whatever they've done!'_

The family made it upstairs, led by Thaniel. As soon as they saw Lyrsia, smoke blew out from the little spheres, wafting into the patches of moonlight. The family huddled together, terrified and helpless. Only a faint trace of their hazy silhouettes were visible through the moonlit smoke.

"Mommy!" Kara shouted. "Mommy! What's happening? I bet it was Fox! Right?" Her silhouette pointed an accusing finger at Lyrsia. "She's planning to take over our-ARGH!"

An egg shell smashed against her face, exploding in a cloud of thick putrid powder.

"GAAAAAHHHHHH!" She screamed hysterically. She choked on the foul dust, hacking up gobs of phlegm, spewing it ungracefully all over herself while desperately rubbing her burning eyes to no avail.

"Kara? KARA! WHAT HAPPENED?" Kassine screamed at her daughter. The dust dispersed into the smoke, spreading up to her face as well as Thaniel's. A slight breath in and they realized they had to cover their mouth and nose, shielding their eyes when they felt stinging at the contact of it.

The bat flew into a patch of moonlight, blowing away a bit of smoke. Then, its outline became amorphous, the shape of a bat blowing up with heaps of writhing masses bulging into a larger figure. When it finished, a caped man with pointed ears stood before them like a specter of the dark.

Thaniel pulled out a dagger, standing in front of his wife. Kassine raised her hands before herself, chanting an incantation to activate a fire spell. Removing their hands from their mouths and eyes allowed the rancid dust to assault their faces without cover. Their stances wavered, diminishing their potential attack power. The caped man moved with the finesse of a monk martial artist. In a swift motion, he disarmed Thaniel and struck Kassine in the solar plexus, knocking her breath out and cutting off her incantation. The remaining tear gas did the rest.

In her panicked state, Lyrsia thought she might be next, so she darted towards the stairs while the caped man was distracted with them. She froze at the top, unable to move. At the bottom, camouflaged in the darkness, was a masked figure. Its eyes caught a trace of light just right, two dots shining between the slit of the mask.

"Wow!" The masked figure said, staring at her. She felt a chill run up her spine. She sprinted away from the stairs, down the hall and into the room she served tea in earlier. There was a window there. Unfortunately, she was three stories high off the ground, making a jumping escape impossible.

The masked figure ran after her, stopping right in the doorway. _'Don't tell me that he plans to…force himself onto me!'_ As if her situation could get any worse. She backed away until the wall pressed up behind her. She grabbed a candle holder with quivering arms. "ST-STAY BACK!" Her voice shook.

"Hold on, ay!" The masked figure held his hands out. "Don't worry! We're from Shieldfreeden!" He pulled his mask off.

Lyrsia's eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped too. Standing before her…was another Kitsune. A fox demi-human. His ears stood proudly atop his head, pierced with glittering earrings to show them off with pride. So unlike how she loathed hers, constantly trying to hide them. A sharp face colored with the confident bravery of a warrior helped accentuate his handsome fox features. He was unlike any kitsune she'd ever seen before. While entranced by the sight of him, he closed the distance with a confident strut.

"Eh?!" She held her hand before herself defensively, not knowing what to expect.

"The names Gellen!" He introduced himself with a killer smile. "And, though I wish it was under better circumstances…" He took her shaking hand into his own, calming her with a firm but gentle touch. Then, without force, pulled it smoothly to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of her hand, never breaking eye contact. "Pleasure to meet'cha, Beautiful!" The kiss sent an exciting jolt up her arm.

She shook her head, still staring._ 'Me? Beautiful?'_ A lifetime of self-esteem beat down and abused made his compliment hard to believe. _'This must be just how other kitsune greet each other…right?'_

"Oi, Gellen!" The bat demi-human stood at the doorway. "Stop flirting. I need your help getting these people outside."

"Got it, Wayne!" Gellen's ears twitched, his earrings making a tingling sound as they did. "Sounds like the guards have given up out there." He turned to Lyrsia. "Should be safe for ya to head out now, ay!"

Lyrsia was paralyzed on the spot. The fear was slowly fading, but disbelief had kept her rooted. "Wait…" He stopped in the doorway, turning around at her. "Did you say…you're from Shieldfreeden?"

"Sure are!" He smirked, whipping a lock of hair from his face. "And I…never caught your name, beautiful?"

"Huh? My name?" She stared at him. He stared back with that smirk, the one that pulled up only one side of his mouth, yet touched both his eyes. She felt a warmth in her chest. "…it's Lyrsia."

"Leer-see-ya…" He pronounced it slowly, rolling the vowels around in his mouth. "I love the sound of it!"

She had never put much thought into her name. Especially since she's constantly referred to as Fox. But now, with her attention drawn to it, she couldn't help but repeat = the sound of it in her mind. _'I guess it…does sound nice!' _Like mother, like daughter, since it was she who named her. A light blush graced her cheeks as she realized just how much she liked the sound too.

One of the lanterns had been lit in the hall, so Gellen and Wayne could properly bind each family member. Their wrists were cuffed by magic-negating shackles, all behind their backs, except for Korbin who posed the least threat.

"Well I'd say we were pretty lucky, ay?" Gellen nudged Wayne's shoulder, who was thoroughly inspecting the parent's shackles. "Finding everyone together in one room like this…The last family was scattered all throughout that big ass place 'o theirs!"

"The last family had 14 members total as well." Wayne answered without pausing his duties. "After having dealt with that, I'd agree that finding a mere five conveniently gathered in a single room was a blessing."

Lyrsia stood there, watching them, listening to their conversation. _'The worst moment of my life…was a stroke of luck for them?'_ It boggled her mind how different their sides of the same situation just were. Gellen noticed her standing there.

"Lyrsia!" He flashed his teeth in a big smile. "It's alright, they can't do anything to you now!" He knocked a knuckle on each family members head. "Slip on past us and head outside. Our captain'll help you from there!"

Lyrsia slipped past them, avoiding the family's eyes, and rushed down the stairs. When she opened the door, it was as if she had found the exit of a prison. The whole world had unfurled into existence before her. A sense of freedom, almost foreign in its novelty, struck her without warning. She stopped breathing for a moment.

The moon shined a silvery white against a dark blue sky, shading the world beneath in a unique hue. Her lips parted as she looked around. She stepped outside, feeling weak in the legs. Her wobbly gait carried her unsteadily for a few steps, her breathing growing deeper the further outside she walked. The mansion no longer bound her, trapping her in a life of servitude. The feeling overwhelmed her, and knees gave out. She almost collapsed to the ground.

"Whoa there!" A woman's strong, confident voice yelled in her ear as an equally strong, confident arm caught her. "I got you, honey. You're safe now!" Lyrsia turned to the woman and was taken back with surprise. She was tall and muscular, both in stature as well as the thick brawny tail coiled behind her. Black horns protruded from her forehead, above her lilac eyes cut down the center with white slit-pupils. A dragonwoman.

"I need you to wait over there, hun!" The area she pointed to was a group of demi-humans dressed as poorly as her, ranging from fit but dirty to outright malnourished. Beyond them was an iron-caged wagon, holding 12 young men of pre-teen to young adults, and an elderly couple cuffed against the bars.

'_The Traymar family? But then…those are their slaves too…'_ All around them were almost 20 troops, dressed indistinguishably in black garb. At least two of the family guards were dead, the rest were being dragged to the caged wagon. _'So they're rescuing slaves around Melromarc?'_

Lyrsia's eyes began to tear all over again. She pinched her cheek for a third time today, damned if she was to find this all a dream. The pinch brought back the sting of the slap she'd been given earlier, and her own self-inflicted pinch before that. This was no figment of her imagination. She fell to her knees, giving herself a chance to savor the overwhelming relief. At her most desperate moment, her life as a slave had ended.

Gellen and Wayne followed with the family soon after, forcing each of them to kneel. Kara was the most cooperative. She could breathe now, but not without a whooping cough every few seconds. Her face was red, crusted with dry snot and makeup smeared like an ugly clown, with swollen, puffy eyes she could hardly see through. The sight satisfied Lyrsia. Kora was trembling from head to toe. She looked between the Shieldfreeden unit, making eye contact with Lyrsia.

"FOXY, FOXY! WE'RE SORRY!" She yelled, eyes shaking. "WE DIDN'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU! PLEASE! WE JUST HAD TO TEACH YOU NOT TO BE BAD AROUND KORBIN! YOU'RE A GOOD FOX, I KNOW IT!"

Lyrsia narrowed her eyes at her. As "nice" as she may have been…she felt the most _dehumanized_ when in her presence.

"_Shut it_, girl." The dragonwoman spoke with a cold voice, applying that strength of hers like a verbal weapon. "What the hell are you apologizing for, anyway? Have you _just_ realized your family's wrongdoings? What great timing, I must say!" Sarcasm dripped off every word. "Why, maybe if we had waited 10 more seconds, you would have come to this majestic revelation you were so close to realizing…and then the poor girl would have been freed from slavery without our intervention! Is _that_ why you're apologizing?"

Kora could only cry in response.

"You grimy, feculent beasts think you can do this to me?" Kassine spit on the dragonwomans legs. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?" Her scream was more of a roar, more fitting for an animal than a person. Its pitch was especially unnerving to the sensitive instincts of demi-humans, causing some to flinch just at its sound.

The dragonwoman was not one of them. She grabbed Kassine by her hair, lifted her head so she was looking at her…then thrust the spit-wet knee into her face.

"GAH!" It shattered her nose and threw out a few teeth.

"HA!" Lyrsia coughed out a satisfied laugh.

"You're a vile bitch. I care not for the name the vile bitch your mother must have been, had given you." Her strong voice boomed without effort.

"HEY!" Thaniel growled. "Don't you DARE hit my wife!"

She turned her cold, no-bullshit glare on him. "_Fuck_ your wife, and _fuck_ you too." His head turned with a vicious slap. He tasted blood, realizing his inner cheek cut itself on his teeth. Lyrsia grinned at that. "Make no mistake, I care not for matriarchies nor patriarchies, but I will not overlook the arrogance that such assign to their catered genders."

"Damn, Kundal, freakin' savage!" Gellen snickered, causing Wayne to shake his head in disapproval.

"Why must your tone betray the seriousness of a moment, Gellen?" Wayne's voice was deep and unemotional.

"Why must _your_ tone make everything serious, ay?" Gellen's voice starkly contrasted it with playfulness. "I bet you sing the most depressing Happy Birthdays! Why you so serious, Wayne?"

"One of us has to be." Wayne tilted his face down. His cloak was closed, shrouding him in pitch black. If the night was actually dark, he'd look like a floating head.

"Oi, Gellen!" Kundal's voice resonated with authority. "If you still have that much energy, go scout the area and make sure knights aren't on the way."

"Got it, Cap!" With an unprofessional salute, Gellen bolted into the dark, rustling tree branches from afar, until his silhouette cut into the moon at the tip of a spruce tree.

'_A kitsune, a dragonwoman and a bat demi-human?'_ Lyrsia was astonished at the sight of them. It had been a long time since she'd seen demi-humans of such vigor. Though technically there were plenty more around, they were the only three to show their faces. _'So they must be their leaders, or something.'_ She knew nothing of their rankings, and thus couldn't quite put together how their order of command worked. All she could infer was that the dragonwoman, Kundal, was the highest ranked of them all. _'I want to know more about them!'_

Kundal stood above Korbin as he looked up at her, scared yet curious. "You better behave yourself too, boy."

He nodded timidly. "Okay." He kneeled in a proper form and put his shackled hands square in his lap without fuss.

'_Well-mannered and respectful of authority.'_ Kundal narrowed her eyes. _'A shame he grew up in this culture, he's a cute little thing too.' _She shook her head slightly with an inaudible sigh, then walked toward Lyrsia.

She stiffened when Kundal got closer. _'She gives off a very hard aura…' _She jumped up from the ground before she reached her.

"Thank goodness, you remained unharmed." The hard edge to her tone was still there, but softened by a genuine care. "What is your name, honey?

"Uh?" The shift in personality took her by surprise.

"Lyrsia!" Gellen said, startling her from behind. "Oh, and were A-OK! Still no soldiers coming."

"I didn't think they would be, but it is wise to check." Kundal acknowledged, then refocused her gaze off Gellen. "Hm, Lyrsia." She smirked. "What a pretty name."

Lyrsia blushed harder than when Gellen had said the same. "Th-thank you." Her voice cracked.

"I'm going to be honest…" Wayne said, the hem of his closed mantle dragging on the ground, fooling the eye into seeing him glide like levitation. "I think the Queen has abandoned Melromarc citizens that own slaves. We've confirmed through scout reports that she's traveling slowly to the capital, gathering families to relocate there…yet, with how easy we've captured _this_ family, the Traymar's, and others that own slaves…I can't help but think it's intentional. She's leaving them to suffer Faubley's soldiers without warning."

"I'm thinking the same thing." Kundal agreed. "It's making our job unbelievably easy, so I'm not in complaint of it."

"Same." Wayne nodded. "And Faubley tends not to discriminate against Demi-Humans, so this situation seems most favorable for us."

"_Tends_ to…" She emphasized. "I'd feel more comfortable helping as many as we can flee to Shieldfreeden."

"As would I."

They conversed with such dry professionalism, it made Lyrsia wonder if Gellen was usually teamed up with them, or if this was a special case. Either way, she was glad that he was with them. His lively attitude was contagious, and she couldn't help but feel curious about the fellow kitsune. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"So, as you can hear…" Gellen leaned in to her ear, yet whispering loud enough to be heard. "These two are no fun at parties."

Kundal and Wayne shot him an annoyed look. Lyrsia averted her eyes downward, but a smile too wide to hide curved her lips. Their expressions relaxed, until they noticed the Slave Crest on her. All their faces hardened.

Kundal raised her hand. "Wayne-"

"Already on it." He opened his cloak, removing a vial latched onto his hip. "Lyrsia, if you'll expose your Slave Crest for me."

Lyrsia blinked, but did as told, pulling apart the torn fabric above her breasts. Wayne poured the solution onto her Slave Crest. It glowed, then floated off her skin up into the air as a transparent sigil. It faded into nothingness, leaving behind bare flesh. In Lyrsia's vision, a translucent sentence stamped over her sight. It read "Slave pact with Kassine terminated."

By the way Kassine flinched and groaned, it seemed she saw a similar message. A feeling of deep liberation sloughed through her. She drew her arms in, shaking, feeling like she was about to explode in a roar of cheers. However, Kundal's arm extended into view, her fingers gently but firmly squeezing her shoulder.

"Lyrsia…" Her eyes were serious. "I have a very important question to ask you. I need you to be honest with me, OK?"

She looked up at her nervously, but nodded anyway.

Something in Kundal's eyes grew dark. "Has this family _ever_ tortured you?"

She noticed Gellen and Wayne become rigid at the question.

"No." Fortunately, the question was rather easy to answer. "I've been threatened with it, but Mistress Kas…" She shook her head. "The mother always feared being caught doing so. So she's never breached the contract of slave conduct."

"Ah, thank goodness!" Gellen sighed loudly with relief, making a dramatic pose to praise Lyrsia's unharmed body.

"Gellen!" Wayne turned to him, his eyes tightened. "Is now really the time to be flirting!?"

"EH?!" His response was genuine. "Wait, wait, wait! That time wasn't flirting!" He shook his hands in front of himself. "Although…" Then rolled his eyes from Wayne to Lyrsia. "I will admit that I am _beyond_ relieved that not a single hair on your ears or tail have been harmed by those wretched assholes…" He smiled at her, wriggling his brows. Wayne's mantle opened, when he raised his hand to whack Gellen. "BUT!" Gellen jumped out of the way. "What were our orders again?" He pointed at Wayne with finger guns. "The three R's…four if you count R for Remember what our orders were, ay?"

Wayne returned his hand inside his cloak, closing it. "To _repatriate_ all freed slaves to their homelands, or offer citizenship in Shieldfreeden, to _round_ up all families engaged in slavery…" He drew his brows together. "And _retaliate_ any acts of torture upon slaves with the torturers execution."

"And it's _THAT_ last one right there!" Gellen pressed a finger against Wayne's forehead. "Idunno about you guys, but I'm not exactly fond of killing defenseless people. I'm a warrior, not a murderer!"

"Fine!" Wayne rubbed his forehead, like something dirty touched it. "The next execution we perform, how about you hand them one of your weapons, and you two can fight each other to the death. Does that satisfy your whimsical needs?"

"Actually…" Gellen sunk deep into thought. "Yea. I like it."

"The next execution we perform…" Kundal stepped in. "Be sure to keep Gellen and all his weapons as far away as possible." She shot him a hard look, telling him to knock the idea out his head. "Let's get them onto the wagon."

"They will be punished severely." Wayne told Lyrsia.

She felt a satisfying vindication as the family she suffered under was led onto the caged wagon. Then she saw Korbin. An uneasy sickness punched her in the gut. He was a rarity that she deemed worthy of fostering, but if he was subjected to the vengeful scorn of demi-humans, that truly noble spirit of his may be crushed under an undeserving prejudice.

"Wai-" Her voice trailed off. The rest of the family, however, she didn't want off the hook. They _deserved_ what was coming. And if Korbin was to be removed from his family, he may not understand the complexities of the _why_. In other words, that route may not have the intended effect either. This trapped Lyrsia in a dichotomy. Should she speak up? Or allow Korbin to suffer the same fate as his family. After all, how many innocent demi-humans suffered under slavers, despite their potential nobility?

The answer that Lyrsia found…

"WAIT!"

…was enough.

Something noble within herself, which never had the chance to bloom before, had won out. Gellen, Wayne and Kundal stopped, looking at her a bit confused. With their attention on her, she found her feet growing cold. But it took more than that to stop her now. "What are you going to do to the boy?"

"The boy?" Wayne raised a brow. Though he was spying on the family prior to the attack, he was focused on the parents first and foremost. It wasn't until they all gathered around Lyrsia in the dining hall that he met her eyes outside the window. Thus, he missed the conversation between her and Korbin. He did, however, see that Thaniel was keeping him away from Lyrsia. He hadn't put much thought into it until now. "Why do you care?"

Lyrsia gulped. "I believe…that there is hope for him!"

Kundal just stared at her, no change to her expression. "What do you base your opinion on? If it is merely the fact that he is a child, bear in mind that children do not stay cute and innocent forever."

"I-it's not that!" Lyrsia pressed her lips together, struggling to find the right words to convince her. "He told me himself that he doesn't understand the prejudice against demi-humans!" She made a fist to try and stop the shaking of her arms. She wasn't used to standing up for herself, but if she couldn't do it for people willing to hear her out…when will she ever? "I believe that if he is taught the error of his family's ways now, he will grow into a valuable ally for our kind in the future!"

The three of them looked shocked and surprised. Gellen knelt down before Korbin. "Yo kid, what'dya think 'o someone like me, ay?" He flashed his teeth, twitching his ear, tingling the glittering earrings in them.

Korbin jumped to his feet, eyes shining. "I think you look cool!"

"THE KID SAYS I'M COOL!" Gellen jumped to his feet too, raising his hands up. "I'M SOLD!"

The long-awaited whack that Wayne had been withholding finally found Gellen's head. As he rubbed the back of his skull, Wayne observed the families reaction to the little boys declaration. They each were scowling at him, with the exception of Kora, who studied him curiously, turning nervously to watch Gellen, as if she was afraid to voice a reevaluated opinion. "Hmm." He turned to Kundal. "I believe Lyrsia's judgement may hold out as accurate."

Kundal was scrutinizing them, remaining silent. Gellen stood straight, awaiting her reaction, as did Lyrsia. She drew in a breath, holding it, anticipating denial but hoping for validation. After a few more moments of silence, spent with her pondering deeply, Kundal raised her head and looked at back at Lyrsia. Her heart pounded as those strong, serious eyes studied her.

"Lyrsia, do you put your faith in the potential this child has?"

She swallowed, trying to moisten her drying throat_. 'Meaning, will I take responsibility if I turn out to be wrong about him?'_ She was certain in her opinion though. "Yes." She replied with conviction.

"Very well, then." Kundal nodded. "Wayne, come over here. I need you to paint Slave Crests on each of them, except for the child. Establish the pact with Lyrsia. Give them the highest setting of punishment."

"Of course, Captain." Wayne seemingly floated over to them.

"Wait, what am I doing?" Lyrsia asked.

"_You_ have nothing to worry about." Kundal smirked. "We are merely reversing their roles. Though they are still going to be put on trial in Shieldfreeden, this will lessen the severity of their sentence. However, in return…" Her smirk vanished. "What we will do, is set the Slave Crest to _**kill**_ them…" She emphasized the word, looking at the family, making sure they were listening. "If they ever bring or encourage harm on another demi-human out of malicious intent."

Thaniel froze, face horrified. Kassine stared at them, eyes burning with vengeance. Kara wiped her grimacing face, strands of snot sticking to her hands, as she tried to bargain.

"Don't put a Slave-" She coughed. "-Crest on me, ple-" She coughed again. "Please! I'll do-" The more she talked. "-anything! I-" The more she coughed. "-promise I'll never hurt-" She coughed uncontrollably, unable to continue speaking.

Kora just sat with her head against her knees, sobbing, accepting her fate.

Once the Slave Pacts were created, they were then ushered into the caged wagon. Only Korbin was granted the privilege of riding in the carriage portion, where he could be kept safe from retaliation of the others inside.

Lyrsia walked up to the family, enjoying the sight of them chained, beaten and miserable. The satisfying image replaced years of awful memories. A gift to herself, before she never has to look at them again. She stood tall and held her head high, refusing to shrink back like she used to. She drew in big breaths, proudly expanding her chest outward.

Through the bars, Kassine stared at her with an intense, unblinking gaze. Thaniel turned his chin up, as if warning her that she will regret this. Kora was huddled up in the corner, her face in her legs still. Kara was seething with visible rage, murderous intent dripping like her frothing saliva. Behind them, the Traymar family just looked at her with disgust. Lyrsia smiled the biggest grin she could shove back into her cheeks.

"Looks like your date is here!" She mimicked the sound of Kara's snide, bitchy tone. The kind that begged the speaker to be struck. "Enjoyyyy!"

Kara grabbed the bars and screamed incoherently like a rabid animal, shaking herself back and forth. Her rambled screams eventually gave way to simple, barely understandable words. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" She bared her teeth.

"NO YOU WON'T!" Lyrsia taunted back, helplessly shedding tears of joy as the girl she hated most hurled harmless death threats at her. This fact became obvious when Kara's Slave Crest began to glow. It forced her to her knees. Kara wailed out angry cries, tears further ruining her smudged make up.

"Geez, and they say _we're_ not human, ay?" Gellen waltzed up next to her.

She smiled, genuinely, with an unforced ease she had almost forgotten.

"Hey, you know what the Traymar family does, right?" Gellen looked at her mischievously, obviously taunting the former slavers, eager to see her smile.

"Um, well…" She brought a playful finger to her moist cheek. "They suck as people, too?" Her voice cracked as she was still crying, but the indulgent vindication from which her tears came was too strong to ruin anything for her.

"HA!" Gellen laughed, egging her good mood on. "That's just the start!" He drew a horizontal arc with his finger, pointing at all 12 sons. "Y'see all these fine young men here? What the parents do is, they train each of their sons to specialize in profitable endeavors. Furniture sales, banking, slave trading, you name it. Then they _whore_ their sons out to women of noble families that are of lesser financial status than them. By offering one of their sons to them, usually for marriage, they then reap the social value of a Melromarc woman, which immediately upgrades their business."

The elderly Traymar couple grew blatantly aggravated with Gellen. The dozen boys expressed different reactions. Some of them turned their noses up at him, some turned their faces down with shame, and some glared at him with killing intent. Gellen had seen it all before.

"However, once married, most of those profits are funneled back into the Traymar family, accruing both wealth and power. This makes them, a family of men, quite sought after by many lesser noble families with unwed daughters. Y'know, like families who can only afford _six whole guards_ and a _single slave_. In other words…" Gellen cocked his thumb toward Kara. "She's a low ranking noble in a family so pathetic, they have to wed her off to a male whore-for-life!" He smiled, almost sadistically. "I bet that date of yours is just a testing period to see if the poor boy could stomach you!"

Lyrsia laughed. "Well, if I may say so myself, former-Mistress Kara…" She smiled through the fresh onset of tears, speaking with a risen pitch. "I'd say your well-combed hair might be your only saving grace!" Her ears perked up, twitching happily.

Kara cried harder, letting out a guttural roar, and pulled on her hair until it frayed out like a savages who knew nothing of showers. Lyrsia relished the moment. The driver had enough of her noise though and cracked his whip, eliciting grunts from the tyrella dragons harnessed to the wagon. It jolted forward, knocking everyone in the cage back.

"HOLD IT!" Wayne shouted. The former slavers jerked again as it halted once more. Wayne walked up next to Lyrsia. "I need you to order them to answer my question. The slave pact is forged with you. Do you mind?"

Lyrsia looked at Kassine and Thaniel. She shook her head, knowing they held no power over her any longer. "I don't mind." She dried off her tears and steeled her face. "Go ahead."

He cleared his throat. "Do you know the whereabouts of a slave named Raphtalia? She is a young tanuki demi-female about 10 years of age."

"Huh?" Lyrsia turned to Wayne, concerned, then gave him a curt nod. She turned back to her former masters, giving a hard look, despite her puffy eyes, above a set jaw. "Well?" She crossed her arms, eyes intensifying. "Answer his question. That's an order!"

Their Slave Crests began to glow, preparing to activate if the order was not met. It was the most satisfying experience Lyrsia ever had.

"N-NO! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Kassine screamed. The memories of how Lyrsia screamed, begged and writhed when she activated the Slave Crest on her…ironically had terrified Kassine, now under threat of a worse pain.

In contrast, Thaniel squinted eyes with a composed hatred. "I have never heard of this girl, nor have I come in contact with a young tanuki at any point I can recall." His eyes flashed with hatred.

Slave Crests stopped glowing, doing nothing. Wayne nodded.

"Take them away." With that, the wagon moved and didn't stop. Just outside of Melromarc, a temporary camp had been set for them to bring prisoners to, before marching back to Shieldfreeden. The wagon disappeared over the moonlit horizon.

Lyrsia turned to Gellen. "Who is Raphtalia?"

Gellen chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, flinching when he hit the spot Wayne smacked. "Ah, yeahhh….long story actually." He gave her an awkward grin. "Things are…kinda complicated right now."

"It's because you can't explain things without deviating into frivolous tangents." Kundal clomped up to them, thick tail swaying proudly behind her. "But yes, there is much to explain. It started when the Sword Hero had rescued three child slaves from Melromarc, who were victims of torture, and brought them to Siltvelt. In response, Siltvelt had decided to unleash mercenaries into this country, as a form of retaliation."

"Wait, the Sword Hero did this?" Lyrsia's head cocked back. "But…he's a prophet in Melromarc! Why would he incite their rivals so blatantly?"

"To my understanding, he is quite eccentric, but seems to prioritize what is right over what is convenient." Kundal seemed surprised with her own explanation.

"Mm." Wayne nodded. "I do hope to meet him, one day."

"Heck, it's cuz of him, we got these nifty new weapons!" Gellen showed off a satchel of odd contraptions, all with a homemade quality. "He gave detailed instructions to Siltvelt's soldiers how to make 'em, and we had someone relay 'em to us."

Lyrsia recognized one of them; they emitted the ear-piercing whistles when lit. She tilted her head, looking back to Kundal. "And he went to…Siltvelt? But I thought Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden are at odds with each other? I was told you're from Shieldfreeden?"

"We are…and we have spies in Siltvelt to monitor their activities. We are a covert paramilitary group of adventurers." Kundal explained. "As soon as their order was given, we were updated immediately to the situation. We were hiding in the outskirts of Siltvelt when this occurred. That is why we were able to get here as fast as we did. As we speak, there are soldiers from Shieldfreeden coming to meet us."

"More soldiers?" Lyrsia brought her hands to her chest, clutching at her shirt. "Are you going to war with Siltvelt? Or are you warring with Melromarc? But then…why are you both here if you're not working together?"

Kundal, Gellen and Wayne all looked at Lyrsia with pity.

"The poor girl has no clue what's coming to this country." Wayne said, eliciting a worried glance from Lyrsia.

"A _big_ war is coming, that much is true…but it is Faubley that declared it on Melromarc." Kundal lowered her gaze, still intense with eyes locked on hers. "It's expected to leave this country destroyed and desolate. Siltvelt is merely taking advantage of the situation, to recruit demi-humans who are understandably angry, to their cause. They wish to foster the anger they have against Melromarc into a spite that encompasses all humans, supported by ideals of demi-human supremacy. As far as Shieldfreeden is concerned, their cause will do nothing but continue the same problem from the other side. This is no surprise, though. Siltvelt had once tried to conquer the world. Of course they'd seize any opportunity to strengthen their forces."

Lyrsia took a deep breath, taking in all the grim information. "And this girl…Raphtalia?"

Kundal nodded. "She is a friend of one of the child slaves the Sword Hero rescued. The child begged that she be found, and Siltvelt promised both him and the Sword Hero that it will be done." Her eyes tightened. "It is at _that_, we became most alarmed. If the Sword Hero joins the forces of Siltvelt, they surely will rise to great power. The worst case scenario is, if they manage to petition the Sword Hero, it might make it easier to convince the Shield Hero to join them, once Melromarc is destroyed. There is also rumor of a notable camaraderie between the Shield, the Bow and the Spear Heroes, and thus, if they get one…they may get them all."

"Wait, so…" Everything clicked in Lyrsia's head. "That means if Shieldfreeden happens to find Raphtalia first, then the Sword Hero will be swayed in your favor then!"

"Exactly!" Kundal smiled.

"Damn, pretty _and_ smart, huh?" Gellen shook his head, smiling. "Dare I say it's a good thing I met you while you were still a slave!" Wayne and Kundal shot him a deathly glare, disapproving of whatever his joke may be. He didn't care. "Why, if we had met by the time those smarts of yours put some money in your pocket, I swear I'd have dropped to a knee and proposed to you on the spot! At least this way, I'll get to know you more while you're still as broke as I am, ay?"

"You'd have more money if you didn't gamble it all away so often…ay." Wayne ruined his moment.

"Ngh!" Gellens face scrunched. "Oi! Don't say that so loudly! My faults aren't nearly as charming if she doesn't get to know my good side first!"

As they argued, Kundal tried to quell the awkwardness. "Uh, Lyrsia, you'll have to excuse Gellen. His sense of humor is-"

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Lyrsia broke into a hysterical fit of laughter. She laughed harder than she had in years, since she was a child who had yet to understand her lot in life. Her _former_ lot in life. Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes yet again, streaking down as her joyous giggles poured forth like a burst dam. She was elated. Free from slavery, in the company of people who cared about her, and having stood her grounds to keep a potential ally for a greater cause safe…she was feeling pretty damn good. She took a pause to rein in her emotions, then bowed deeply in front of the three demi-humans that rescued her.

"Thank you…" Her voice shook, rich with emotion. She then threw her head up and jumped forward, embracing the three of them all at once in a big hug. "THANK YOU!"

Kundal and Gellen each put a hand on her shoulders, letting her know they accepted her gratitude. Wayne stood there with an expression that hardly changed.

"You're welcome." He replied in his deep, monotone voice.

"Aw, geez Wayne! You sound like you just solved a math problem!" Gellen snickered.

"HAHAHAHA!" Lyrsia released them to start laughing again as Wayne grunted, shooting a glare at Gellen. Even Kundal smiled to herself, finding humor in his lack of emotional range.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Lyrsia put her hands together, facing Wayne apologetically.

He shook his head. "You're OK. It's Gellen who's developed the unnecessary niche that allows him easy access beneath my skin."

She smiled at that, still giggling intermittently, realizing that they actually were all good friends. Then she thought of Raphtalia. Finally, her laughing subsided. She had no idea what this girl looked like, yet she worried for her like a close friend.

"Raphtalia-chan…" The wind blew against her face as she spoke. There was a chill to it, reminding her of nights she felt alone, scared and despaired in the basement of her slavers house. "That poor girl. We have no idea what condition she is in right now, how scared she might be, or what pain she may be suffering. All sorts of terrible things are possible, here as a slave in Melromarc." She lifted her head, facing the wind, looking toward the moonlit horizon. "And if she is OK, somehow, there is a chance she'll be rescued by a country that wishes to use her as a tool to inspire war."

Kundal put a hand on Lyrsia's shoulder, standing next to her, looking out at the moon over the same horizon. "All we can do is hope for the best."

"All the while, we _do_ our best." Gellen walked up to her other side, drinking in the sight of the silver-blue grass basking in moonlight.

Wayne stood behind them, looking above the moon, thinking of the millions of stars being outshined by its gentle snowy light. "Though I believe in no god preached about in any of our churches…I do pray that the child is alright."

The four demi-humans stood together, gazing at but a fraction of the cosmic infinity above them. All they could do was hope; hold faith for a miracle somewhere in its boundless midst to bestow itself upon a helpless little girl, lost and alone in a hostile country.


	22. Chapter 21 Part 2

**PART 2**

**The Following Morning**

"It's so pretty!" Raphtalia raised the first coin she's held under a casino spotlight. The bright beam bounced off the silver and sprayed dazzling specks of light on her face. She released an appreciative sigh.

"Should be easy enough!" Killua announced, standing atop a barstool in front of a crowd of demi-humans. "Keep the place tidy, dust up the machines, dispose the trash, make sure the bar is stocked with alcohol, have a bartender at hand 24/7, and keep at least two guards on the observation deck by the alarm system."

"And by alarm system…" A cat demi-human raised his hand. "You're talking about those two ropes that are tied to bells inside your guard room?"

Since they were gathered next to the bar, in the center of the gambling hall, it only took a turn of the head to see what he was talking about. A room with a large open window, transmuted from the ceiling, oversaw the entire area like a balcony. It was built above the Dragon Hourglass, which had a silk curtain drawn over it. The bar they stood in front of was stacked with shelves of alcohol, while rows of slot machines, pachinko arcades, card tables and roulette wheels stuffed the atmosphere with a variety of sparkling noises.

"Yeaaa…" He spoke slowly. "…guard room…" He tried not to laugh, thinking about the hot-spring tub and gyroscopic-maze-shaped pinball arcade inside, which Hajime designed to be _almost_ impossible to win. Even for himself. "Either Kazuma, Hajime or I will be in it at all times, so if anyone is causing trouble, yank a rope and we'll be down. Though, I'd recommend trying to drop Hajime's or my name first. That might shut 'em up."

The shoulders of some demi-humans relaxed when hearing that. Others slowly smiled when they thought more and more about it. Some even pumped their fists. Only a small few remained concerned.

"Ah, Shield Hero-sama!" Raphtalia raised her hand.

"Don't call me that. The names Killua."

"Oh…" She looked down, twisting her hands, then looked up again while crinkling her forehead. "Um…Killua-sama?" To her, he was still the prophet she had heard of only in legends. And though it wasn't nearly as heroic as anyone would have imagined…technically, she had been saved by him.

He noticed her body language and sighed. "Yea?"

She fidgeted her shoulders, frowning slightly. "Should we call you if…if the nobles try to do anything mean to us?"

"Look…" Killua rubbed his forehead with his index and middle fingers. "I get that nobles don't like you guys, but you're not slaves anymore. You're minimum-wage bartenders and janitors now. So try to handle whatever you can yourselves, but yes, if they keep pushing…let them know they can always talk with your Boss."

"Oh…" She released her crinkled brow, then tilted her head. "What's a minimum wage?"

"You're holding it." He pointed at the silver coin she held. "A wage is what you get paid for work. And you're getting paid the smallest denomination available-"

"Um…actually, Killua-sama?" A mole-man in glasses held up his index finger, speaking in a nasally voice. "The smallest denomination of currency is actually copper, not sil-"

"Oi, dude! Shut up!" The cat demi-human scolded in a whisper, tightening his eyes. "We're getting _easy_ silver outta _just as easy_ work!"

"HEY!" The mole-man snapped back in a whisper. "I'd rather he be aware of this now, rather than pay us in what he _thinks_ is the lowest currency, only to find out later he's wrong! You know how angry he might be-"

"Uh, guys?" Killua waved his hand at them. "I already know copper is the smallest. But our customers are mostly nobles, so technically, silver coins _are_ our smallest denomination. Your daily pay is a single silver."

The cat and the mole and stared at Killua with intense, excited eyes. They pulled out the single coin every demi-human received upon walking in, thirty minutes prior.

'_A villager can live on a mere 20 coppers a day!' _The mole gawked.

'_And we get a whole silver?!' _The cat smiled.

Killua nodded, seeing their faces. "So, you guys get the gist now?"

The cat demi-human saluted hard. "AYE THE **FUCK** AYE, KILLUA-SAMA!"

He squinted at him. "And don't call me Sama!" _'It makes me think of my butlers back home…' _That thought edged upon another, but he cut his mind off from trailing any closer to it. "My name is fine enough…" He lowered his head in thought. "Or Boss, is technically acceptable I guess." He mused aloud to himself.

"You got it Boss!" The cat and the mole yelled.

"Wha…" His eye twitched, then he closed them in defeat. _'Whatever!'_ "Anyway, congratulations everyone! On this day, you've upgraded from slaves with absolutely nothing, to minimum-wage workers in extreme poverty! Now get to work."

After a combined cheer, Killua hopped off the barstool and made his way to the door. As he was leaving, he saw the little tanuki girl climb up in his stead, proceeding to give a speech as to how their "second chance" has finally come.

"And it's all thanks to the Shield Hero!" He heard her say.

A vein bulged on his forehead. _'I'd rather you called me Boss!' _He decided not to say anything. He walked outside, shielding his eyes from the east-risen sun. In the distance, a stone wall was erected, surrounding the town much like the one Hajime transmuted around Ur. The shop keepers and home owners within the walls didn't voice any opposition to it. Whether it was because they honestly didn't mind it, or they saw it futile to say anything against it, Killua didn't know. _'At least it's not bothering anyone.' _It wouldn't matter if it did anyway, since it was a necessary precaution.

"Ah, Shield He-oh, I mean, Killua!" Erhard the blacksmith pulled him out his train of thought. "Would you like to buy a filolial egg?" He cocked his thumb back at his store.

Killua narrowed his eyes at him. "I just gave you those like an hour ago, and you said the same thing then. I don't want any."

"Aw, c'mon! They're handy for pulling carts!" He said, smiling his friendly businessman grin.

"Hajime has a mana-powered vehicle…what's the point of owning a feathered horse after that?" He returned his own grin.

"HA HA HA!" Erhard put his hands on his hips. "Can't blame a man for trying! What happened to the slave dealer, anyway? You must've ran him outta business, buying all those slaves from him…"

"Actually." Killua raised his brow in surprise. "The chubby mustache dude was gone. I think we scared him out of town. It was some new guy there, and he sold me everyone at a discount." _'That, and I'd feel like a real dick, only buying half of them.'_ "Anyway, it's not like we don't have the money for it."

Erhard blinked. _'Oh gee, I can't imagine why he'd run...' _"Y'know…" He cleared his throat. "Those demi-humans will be middle class citizens in a few months, at the rate you're paying them." He crossed his arms and looked at Killua, smirking. "Although I'm a bit jealous of their easy pay, I do gotta say I respect that!"

"Few months, huh?" Killua shrugged. "That's too long. We're aiming to leave this world sooner than that." Erhard laughed, but Killua continued, looking up at the sky. "But even before that...I doubt if things are going to remain like this until the first Wave in 13 days."

Erhard stopped laughing, pulling his smile back. "What do you mean?"

"That King…" Killua turned only his eyes to Erhard. "It would seem he was keeping a certain country, filled with their kind, at bay." He cocked his head back at the casino.

Erhard furrowed his brows, drawing his mouth into a straight line. "You're talking about Siltvelt."

Killua nodded. "I've been asking around, gathering information. Apparently he was some sort of hero that was key in stopping their attempt at world conquest, right?" Erhard nodded back, frowning. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a field day, knowing he's gone now. To be honest, I actually am expecting some sort of military action to be taken against Melromarc soon. My guess would be, they'll act before the first Wave so they can let it finish off what they can't, or just to conserve their resources. From what I understand, the country's most likely to act are either Siltvelt or Faubley. They both seem to have reason to."

"So then…" Erhard rubbed his chin. "The reason you've employed demi-humans…it was to give yourself bargaining leverage in case it's Siltvelt that comes?"

"No." Killua replied nonchalantly, causing Erhard to jerk his head back with a shake. "We just needed cheap workers." Erhards brows then twitched in disbelief. "But it does have its side benefits along with that. Yes, it might make us look good for Siltvelt, but to be frank, I bet the Queen is gonna be pissed when she returns. If we can avoid another fight, that'd be great, as I'm tired of making enemies every step of the way. Then I learned that she's an advocate for demi-human rights, so I figured it'd make her happy, at least, if we employed them here."

"Uh, hey…Killua…?" Erhards brow was still twitching. "I can't help but notice you seem _really_…unconcerned… about this whole situation. What with a looming war and the Waves and all. In fact, the thing you've shown the most care for is how annoyed you'll get at the Queen."

He looked up in thought. "I'm leaving the battle plan against the Waves to Hajime, and I'm not too worried about a few armies." _'I'd rather fight them than the Chimera Ant King and his guards any day of the week!'_ "I can bring down tanks and fighter jets myself, so they can come and bring it all they want. The wall I had Hajiime transmute around here is for you guys, honestly. It'll give you something to hide behind, at least."

"Ah!" Erhard turned his head, looking at the wall. "Well, thanks for that!" He then raised a questioning brow. "So what are tanks and fighter jets?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. They're war weapons…" Killua looked around, looking for a way to explain himself. He then pointed at the mountainous bluff where the castle once stood. "To put it in perspective, a group of them have enough firepower to take out the castle. Not as fast or as powerfully as Hajime did, but that should still give you an idea."

With but a glance at the empty bluff, Erhard laughed under a nervous sweat. "Hey…Do you actually need that shield?!" He thought back to when he tried to sell him a sword, feeling rather foolish at the prospect.

"Well, it's got a lot of cool features with it, and Hajime and I found a way around its biggest inconveniences for me. But need?" He shrugged. "Idunno yet. We'll see." He turned and walked toward the casino. "Anyway, I just felt like checking on the wall and making sure nobody was poking at it. Just be prepared for some big changes in your daily lives!"

Erhard was left scratching his head. He then put some serious thought into their conversation. _'He's right. If Faubley doesn't do anything, Siltvelt definitely will.'_ This realization rooted a deep, icy fear in his chest. He looked over at his weapons shop. _'I might…have to actually use those soon. It's been a while…' _He sucked in a sharp inhale. "Hey, Killua!" He turned to Erhard, still with that nonchalant expression. "You mind if I borrow some of those new workers to help me forge some extra weapons? I'll pay them handsomely for it!"

"Sure!" He yelled back. "Just don't use the on-duty bartender! They're important!"

"Pfff-HAHAHAHA!" Erhard threw his head back, holding his stomach. "Ah, man! That's all your concerned about? Sheesh, what kinda monsters _have_ we summoned, huh!?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Even if Siltvelt and Faubley were to join forces…I don't think we have to worry much here, as long as we stay close to _this_ place."

He believed those words, but it was going to take more than mere belief to quell his anxiety.

**The Following Evening**

The sun touched the horizon, sinking into it, allowing the fall of night to slowly smother it. Groups of demi-humans walked by a freshly tilled field, trudging heavily with slow steps. Some forced weak smiles beneath tired eyes while others could only stare vacantly with slack faces.

They had spent months of arduous labor, squeezing sweat out of building muscles, to pack the field edge to edge with crops. Their grueling toil was to be paid off by the fruitful bounty they would have reaped of their own efforts. Now, however, that tender love and care would bloom and rot without any of its hard-earned tastes savored.

Hulking canvas sacks tightly bound families most precious belongings together. They proceeded to cram them, squished together, with heaps of others in a series of chuck wagons. The only sounds were that of creaking wood, thuds, bangs, and a few unenthusiastic conversations. Dozens of homes were about to stand empty and lifeless.

On this night, an entire community of demi-humans prepared to leave the domain that had treated them so well. Well enough, that the nobleman who owned this rare domain had collected all his gold and silver, divided it evenly through several pouches, and entrusted more than half to be distributed among demi-human families. This way, he reasoned, if they encountered bandits, he could pay them off with a few pouches of coins on himself, while still having many more spread among demi-humans most bandits wouldn't think to check.

'_It would be unwise to keep all a filolial's eggs in the same basket…or so the saying goes.' _He told them, hiding other valuables, such as jewelry, in their belongings. Simply for their trading value. He anticipated a long, exhausting haul, and it was his duty, as their domain lord, to be sure they could survive the trip. Funds of any sort were an exceptional need for that end. The reason they were leaving, though, was due to a message that the Queen had personally delivered to him.

"Faubley is going to war with us…" The nobleman stood by his window, watching the demi-humans with a wistful look on his face. As always, the gentle smile he wore never faltered. "Poor Queen Mirellia. I can't begin to imagine her stress. The desperation she must be feeling…" His voice was just as gentle as his smile. "And poor Princess Melty…" He let out a deep sigh, expression becoming thoughtful.

Lost in thought, he hadn't noticed his two maids, one blonde, Edith, and one black haired, Grecia, standing by the dining room entry. On their backs were leather rucksacks, packed with belongings they couldn't bear to part from. They both looked down at their hands, not knowing what to say. Edith looked up first.

"Melty looked so sad." Her voice was soaked with sympathy. "It hurts just to think about the look on her face."

Van Reichnott turned around to them, pushing his gold-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his nose. A silence passed between them. All he could do was share with her a sad smile, letting her know he understood how she felt. Grecia had trouble keeping eye contact though, let alone settling her hands.

She crossed and uncrossed her arms, then crossed them again, in a matter of moments, unable to relax her rigid posture. Edith wanted to put a hand on her shoulder, but it was taking everything she had to keep herself composed. Van figured a change of subject was due. He tilted his head and closed his eyes, letting his smile grow in reminiscence of happier times. "I can't believe that this is our last night here!"

His smile was contagious. Grecia couldn't help but return one similar. "I do admit, the time that's passed since yesterday afternoon has been extremely nerve-wracking." A quick, high-pitched laughter slipped through.

"I certainly wasn't expecting a sudden visit from the Queen and Princess!" Edith gripped the straps at her shoulders, her blonde hair framing a tightened expression. As if clenched muscles are what prevented her from falling apart.

"Hm." He nodded, hoping to validate her calm exterior. "But it's a good thing that we were able to help everyone get prepared in such a short time. It's just too bad this couldn't have happened after our crops had grown…" He turned back to the window.

The maids walked to his side, looking out at the fields too. In silence, they drank in the sight, a small pain in their chests at having to abandon it all. Without noticing, the sun had dipped even lower, taking with it a touch of its gentle warmth. Edith saw that Grecia looked about to cry, and Van noticed too. They looked at each other without her noticing.

"We should store our belongings down in the foyer-" Edith suggested from Grecia's left. "-Prepare ourselves now for an early departure before sunrise. Since we'll be carrying these on our person, we can just leave them there."

"I agree that is best." Van spoke on her right. "We've packed our more practical essentials in the carriage already. These, we can keep close." He lifted his own pack and started down the hall, the maids following closely.

Grecia's walk was unsteady. Her feet were a hairs width from dragging every step. Her foot caught the floor at an angle more than once, almost face planting her each time with the weight of her rucksack. Her mouth crumpled in embarrassment. "I apologize…I'm unusually clumsy today."

Fortunately, Edith walked with a purposeful stride, free of hesitation. It made catching Grecia a quick and easy feat. "It's just nerves. No one can blame you for it." She smiled gently, doing her best to emulate the effect that Van's smile had.

As they stopped in the hall, from the most recent near-trip, Grecia took the moment to voice a concern. "Van-sama…" She fiddled with her wrist collar, speaking in a pitch higher than normal. "What do you think of the heroes that have been summoned? I mean, in terms of how they'll handle the sudden influx of demi-humans?"

"I've been concerned about this too." Edith added, speaking evenly and seriously. "I know the Queen said she's excluding families that own slaves, which should keep the amount of people migrating somewhat low…but just the population we have in our domain alone will flood the capital beyond living capacity!"

"Ah, that's true…" Van replied, still in that gentle, soothing voice. "But, according to the Queen, these heroes are most unusual. Apparently, both the Shield Hero and the Spear Hero have brought with them powers of their own, unlike anything we've seen. And though their notable lack of mercy _does_ worry me to an extent…" He turned his smiling face over his shoulder, encouraging them to walk with him.

"The fact that they haven't taken any action towards demi-humans should readily reveal their opinion of them! They have done neither good nor bad, and in a way, that in itself is a good thing. This may imply we can act in favor of demi-humans, and they will pay us little mind!" He turned back forward. "We'll find a solution. At this point, I'd rather focus on getting us all there safely first."

They carried their bags down the stairs to the front foyer room. Lavish cotton curtains were drawn closed over windows on both sides of the hickory double doors, leaving only an arched window above the entryway to provide light. The sunset cast a peculiar color, like blood on fire, slamming it onto the floor, cut apart by the stretched shadows of the window grids.

Its last dashes of warmth bid farewell with a caress on skin as they walked through it, placing their bags against the floor-draped curtains by the left door. Grecia swung her rucksack off, impatient to release her back of its weight, and its strap accidentally caught on the slide bar of the iron bolt latch. She sighed an embarrassed chuckle, slumping her shoulders. "My luck, of course."

Edith put a hand on her shoulder. "It's only because we keep it unlocked, it caught." She looked her in the eyes steadily, but non-invasively, and smiled. "Not a matter of bad luck!" She helped her slide it off the iron bar, large enough that her fingers wouldn't even touch if wrapped around. "That, and you swung it off while walking past the lock!" She poked fun at her impatience.

Grecia cleared her throat, forcing her limbs to relax. With two hands, Edith slid the bar to and fro, double-checking that the rucksack hadn't dislodged it from its position, unable to lock again. It slipped into the latch slot bolted on the right door, fitting perfectly, then slid it back out until it rested solely in the ironwork of the left door. This way, if any of the demi-humans needed to request their attention, they could let themselves in. Van wanted them to feel welcome at all times.

Van watched their ordeal silently, finding amusement in their unintentional shenanigans. "It's good to see you two can still laugh in a situation like this." His soft tone was rich with empathy and gratitude. The crimson kiss of the sunset colored his pale face with the hue of a blush. The maids were stuck staring for a moment, taken back by the sight, before nodding together with a gentle smile that only _his_ could beget.

They then split up to fulfill separate tasks before resting for their last night. Grecia and Edith went to the kitchen, gathering remaining non-perishables into hefty potato sacks should their trek across the nation require food stops. Grecia was especially productive, tackling the task head on to distract herself. Edith took note and made sure to keep her busy.

Van was sitting at a desk in his room, writing a letter to the next person that should come to inhabit the mansion after they leave.

"_To whom this may concern, I ask that you take good care of this mansion. It has served many generations well, and it deserves to fulfill that duty until its structure can no longer bear weight. Also, as a reward for finding this letter, kind stranger, I shall inform you of an escape passage beneath the master bed of this room. There are a few false entrances hidden throughout this room, but all except one lead to dead ends. _

_Lift the rug, and you shall find a door which slides open, revealing a ladder than leads to a crawlspace through the walls. It shall take you to a room beneath the floor, which leads to a piece of wall that is fragile enough to be kicked out. Fortunately, I've never had to use it. I pray that you don't either, kind stranger. Feel free to construct more throughout the mansion, beyond just the master bedroom, if you wish. It is a regret of mine that I've never been able to do so."_

He folded the note and hid it in a compartment within his ostentatious wardrobe, just one of many family heirlooms. He walked into the corridor and knelt before a wall, decorated with portraits of his forbearers. He paid his respects; clasping his hands in apology for the familial legacies he'd have to leave behind. His expression turned inward. Though he could have made room for certain heirlooms, it would have come at the sacrifice of practical items for himself, the maids and the many demi-human families he was leading. They were his top priority.

"Is there anything from here I should bring on my way down?" Van poked his head into the kitchen. "I'm going to check on everyone outside before calling it a night."

Grecia lifted her head, wiping her brow of sweat. "No, we should be good, thank you Van-sama!"

"We'll follow you down in a minute or two, we're just about ready here as well." Edith topped off a sack with edible goods. "Oh!" She spun around and grabbed some candles off a nearby window sill. "We forgot to light the lanterns by the door earlier, so here! So you don't trip on something in the dark!"

Grecia's head fell limp, staring up open-mouthed at the ceiling. "I feel like that's something _I_ would do."

"We'll give _you_ a torch then." Edith snickered.

The three of them shared a chuckle, then Van continued to the stairs. As Edith warned, it was dark at the bottom; to the point the arched window camouflaged with the black of night. _'The clouds must be out now, the moon was quite bright yesterday…' _

He lit the candle and carefully placed one foot beneath the other, step by step. As the visibility dimmed, he felt the hair raise on the back of his neck. By the final stair, he was surrounded by a blinding black. The goosebumps crawled up his neck to a prickling on his scalp. The candle light spread around itself spherically, beating the darkness back hardly farther than a foot.

Van had to keep his steps slow and steady, lest he bang his shin against something unexpected, or trip. Dropping an open flame onto the floor would not bear happy consequences. He shuffled closer and closer, the faint light being aided by muscle memory. The seemingly-endless darkness was playing tricks on his mind, teasing his instincts with a feeling like he was being watched. He shook his head, feeling silly. _'I know this house inside and out…and we have no bat demi-humans in our domain either.'_ After several more inconvenient seconds, the double hickory doors, with the iron bar slid across and locked in its latch, came into view.

"Finally." He sighed to himself, resuming his usual smile immediately after. He looked up at the lanterns by the door. _'Should I light these, at least for tonight? Although I feel uneasy leaving them to burn unattended while we sleep, I should think some people outside must not be able to sleep now…' _He looked back to the top of the stairs. _'Perhaps I'll just wait for Edith and Grecia to come down, and we will leave a lantern and flint by the front-' _Van's thoughts halted. With the throb of his heart, it began racing, pushing a sudden coldness in his chest down his arms and into his fingers. The little flame flickered as the candle quivered in hand.

"Didn't we…" He saw it just moments earlier, but the detail hadn't registered. "Didn't we leave that unlocked?" The slide bar that Grecia hooked her rucksack strap onto…was locked in place.

"**You did**." A baritone voice vibrated against Van's spine, forcing an uncomfortable tingle up it, stiffening his back when it passed. His eyes went wide, revealing the whites around his blue irises. A sudden, overwhelming sense of dread simultaneously stabbed him through the front and back

He spun around quick, holding the candle up in the air to try and shed light on the speaker. Heavy footsteps, like enormous tree trunks slapping the floor, shook the ground while drawing closer. Van jumped at the sound each time. Every step grew louder, and each shake grew stronger, as a large, inhuman creature made its way to him.

The edge of the candles glow brought a faint image into view, more shadows then features. Shoulder width double the size of Van's slim build dominated his sense of self. He felt small and powerless. Hulking muscles teeming with bristly black fur spread across his peripherals, propping up the head of a horned beast, looking down at Van with an arrogant smirk. A minotaur. To his other side, luscious locks of thick burgundy hair trickled around the menacing features of a lions face, spilling below into a flowing beard.

"It made breaking and entering quite easy. Thank you." The lion beastman leaned his head forward, showing himself. The candle flame reflected so fittingly in his fiery orange eyes.

"Wait…" Van's voice shook. "I know of you! You're…Jaralis? From…" He felt sick to his stomach when the information connected.

Jaralis flashed his sharp teeth, revealing four thumb-sized incisors that hooked over the rest with carnivorous design. "Siltvelt, yes. And the big guy here is Irafel."

Van exhaled through his nose, noisily, failing to hide his nerves, yet forcing something hard to that gentle smile he always wore. _'I'm weaker than both of them…I'm at a severe disadvantage…but that's no excuse to lose control of myself!_' "I'd say you're pretty far from home. What are you doing in Melromarc?"

"Heh!" A chuckle slipped through the lions maws, blasting a hot gust against Van's face. "We're here on behalf of the Sword Hero!"

"Wh-what?" Van took a step back, eyes bulging. "Impossible! Why would that be?"

"Oh yes, that is no lie!" Jaralis lifted his chin, looking down at Van. "Believe what you will, Human! How does it feel, knowing that one of your precious prophets has sicced your worst enemy on you?!" Irafel put an arm around Jaralis, bending down to get a closer look at Van's face. Jaralis narrowed his focus on him, not wanting to miss a detail of his reaction. _'Delight me with your despair, you feeble human!'_

"I wouldn't know." Van never broke eye contact, never faltered his confident smile. He embraced the fear and his struggle against it. "I'm rather fond of the Shield Hero, personally."

"Huh?" Jaralis did a double take, confused. Irafel barked out a laugh that shook Van's chest.

"Didn't you see the demi-human settlements outside?" Van opened his hand and swept it towards the door. "They are no slaves of mine. They are my _people_!" He stepped toe-to-toe with Jaralis, feeling offended that they dare mistake him for a despicable slave owner.

Jaralis and Irafel were honestly surprised. They hadn't considered it when sneaking onto the property. After all, it made no difference to their intentions. Jaralis swung his hand, right to left. Van started wheezing. It was an unnerving and disgusting sound. The kind that can only be made when an unnatural hole is opened in the neck.

Jaralis tipped his head back, sneering. Van fell to his knees, his face level to the freshly used knife, dropping the candle and clasping his throat for dear life. The little flame flickered but continued to burn. Irafel kicked it away, rolling it toward the window curtains to the right of the door, opposite to where the bags were. Where the hem of the curtains just touched the floor, nothing in its way.

"…It's still dark down there." Grecia commented from the top of the stairs, letting out a nervous, high-pitched laugh again.

"Van-sama, are you down there?" Edith called out, passing Grecia and taking the first step down. She was about to take another, then stopped. "C'mon, let's just grab some more candles from the kitchen."

The curtains finally caught; flames rushing up the flammable cotton. The sudden rush of light revealed a terrifying scene. Standing there was a lion beastman, holding a freshly used knife, and a Minotaur, gripping a trench mace almost as large as Edith. They watched them with nasty grins. Kneeling before them was Van, clutching his throat as blood spilled between his fingers. The maids froze, dropping sacks of food. The sight shocked the breath out of them, causing a pressure in their chests from forgetting to breathe it back in.

Grecia's mouth fell open, bringing trembling fingertips to her paling lips. Edith moved excruciatingly slow, her mind trying to warn her to run, but her disbelief and shock rooted her still, stuck staring at her source of panic. Van looked at them. The gentle smile they had always known him to have, was nowhere in sight. A look of absolute horror made a stranger out of his own face.

"RUN!" His voice was hoarse, gurgling, spewing blood that streaked down his chin. "SURVIVE!" His bloodshot eyes shook with the desperate need to squeeze his last words out audibly. "TELL QUEEN…SILTVELT…INVASIO…" Pale skin turned bone-white and he fell forward, never moving again.

Grecia lifted her shaking hands past her lips, clawing her fingers just below her eyes, heaving shallow breaths in rapid succession. Edith shook her head and cried. Jaralis opened his sharp-teethed jaws, and bellowed a roar strong enough to rumble through them. Irafel charged at them. This set Edith in a sprint. She grabbed Grecia's cold shaking hand, not letting go, and pulled her around a sharp turn. They ran toward the master bedroom at the end of the hall.

The colossal foot-smashes of Irafel shook the walls around them, and they could feel that he'd catch up in less than five steps. Then a wooden pipe with metal thorns tossed out between them, rolling to a stop in front of the two woman. A short wick out its top was shrinking under a sparkling flare.

"IRAFEL, GET OUTTA THERE!" A raspy voice snarled as loud as it could. The minotaur skid, forcing his feet to crack through the floorboards right behind them, but stopping instantly. Then he leapt behind a corner to guard himself.

An insane chanting sung from far down the hall. "EX-PL-ODE! EX-PL-ODE!"

'_EXPLO-'_ Unlike Grecia, whose thoughts scrambled hysterically, Edith's panicked mind boosted her nerves into hyperawareness. She grabbed her without time to explain and threw them both down on the ground, laying as flat as possible. The wick disappeared. The pipe bomb exploded, blowing metal shards through a 360 degree radius. "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

The shockwave hit them like the kick of a horse. It muffled their hearing, leaving a loud ringing that disoriented them. Due to Edith's quick thinking, she minimized the amount of their bodies they would expose to the fatal spray of shrapnel. Unfortunately, since she threw Grecia down in front of her…three metal fragments managed to find her legs and feet. One lodged in her right thigh, one dug deep into her left calf, and one blown all the way through the foot of the same leg.

"EDITH!" Grecia sat up, trying to help her to her feet. Until she was grabbed by the hair and slammed on her back. It punched the breath out of her. A wolfman pinned her down, hovering over her face with his tongue hanging out. One of his eyes had a milky iris that veered off to the side, while his good eye exuded an unreasonable lunacy.

"WAIT! PLEASE!" She shouted.

"You'll have to excuse him." A raspy voice said. Grecia lifted her head, seeing a tiger demi-human lean against the hallway, pressing a foot down on Edith's stomach. On his back were two scabbards, sheathing scimitar swords. His face had a line of gnarled skin cut diagonally through the fur; a battle scar between a set of mean eyes. "He's psychotic, that one."

"Rengir says _I'm_ psychotic?!" The wolfman spoke with the tone of a strident hiss. "Human, how am _I_ crazy …" He looked back down at Grecia, desperately blocking her face with her arms. "When you're the one who tries to guard themselves with such delicious chew toys?! Wouldn't you prefer a faster death if I just ate your head right away?!"

Out of sight, Edith could hear Grecia whimpering and moaning, repeating her begs for mercy. Edith's face became pained, apologizing to Grecia in her mind, knowing how terrified she must be after how nervous she's been all day. Edith cupped her mouth, eyes watering hysterically, prepared to die. With her injured legs, a strong foot shoved into her stomach, whilst surrounded by trained demi-human mercenaries armed with weapons and explosives, she saw no hope for herself or Grecia.

Then Grecia screamed. Violently, desperately, morbidly. "MY ARM! PLEASE! STOP!" Her screams evolved into something inhuman; a hoarse, instinctual noise that pain and despair can only produce when mixed during the torture of a brutal death.

Edith's eyes popped wide, looking around panicking. "G-GRECIA!"

"EDITH! EDITH HELP M-" Her voice, unrecognizably hoarse, was cut off by a gurgle and growling.

Edith's mind went into shock, retracting her acceptance of death. It drew a blank. Her own instincts were traumatized into a shut down. She felt hollow inside…but that emptiness began filling with a surge of irresistible energy. In an instant, she hyper-registered the exact area her leg wounds were, Rengir's foot on her stomach, and Irafel standing between her and Grecia dying.

In other words…the only obstacles between her and the master bedroom was Rengir's foot and some painful wounds…and the pain from those were subsiding under an energy rush. Flames climbed the stairs, licking the ceiling with insatiable hunger, reminding her that Van's body was burning in it. The image of his horror and desperation flashed in mind…his last breaths used to scream the words "RUN" and "SURVIVE". Even in death, he managed to inspire Edith one last time. Her nerves ignited in a hysteric burst of adrenaline.

Rengir's balance was thrown off when Edith lurched from underfoot, smoothly breaking into a sprint down the hall, leaving bloody footprints. Rengir's unsteady stance blocked Irafel from chasing after her in that same instant, but it takes more than shaken balance to render him harmless. In one fluid motion, he pulled out a scimitar and swung it at her. She didn't even notice the skin-shallow slash that caught her between the shoulder blades. By the time she slammed the door, Grecia's screams had been silenced forever.

Rengir's perpetually angry eyes burned furiously. "Irafel, go kick that fucking door down!"

The minotaur stomped up to the master bedroom, attempting to open first. Locked, of course. Rengir growled when he saw him try it, knowing it already to be futile. "Kick at the handle, you'll dislodge the lock from the wood."

"Got it." Irafel's voice rumbled deeply. He lifted a knee, cocking his leg back, while grounding his body weight on his other foot to support the upcoming attack.

Then a pipe bomb, with its wick already lit, rolled next to him, stopping with a whack against the door. There was no time to pinch the wick out, let alone cast water magic.

"SHIT! MOLOK WHAT THE FU-" Rengir growled as he and Irafel sprinted down the hall, dropping down flat the same way Edith and Grecia had. It exploded, destroying the door into several hundred shards.

Molok cackled a deranged laugh, bouncing on his feet as his loose tongue flapped against the side of his bloody jaws. "These things are so fun!" He pulled out another pipe bomb, bringing the flint up to the tip of its wick. He stopped when the blade of a scimitar pressed into his neck. Blood dripped from his lips and onto the blade, like a premonition of what was to come. Molok cowered in front of Rengir's bloodshot eyes.

"I **told** you…" He spoke through fanged teeth. "Those are for offensive use only, to CONSERVE MANA! NOT WASTE LIKE FUCKING TOYS!" The tiger in him came out, roaring more than speaking, causing Molok to shrink back and whine like a scared wolf.

"Hey Rengir! I think she might have jumped out the window!" Irafel yelled from the bedroom.

Inside, dusty debris of the door and the pipe bomb coated the floor along with wooden shards. It covered up the blood of Edith's injury, hiding her trail. Rengir looked at the window. The glass had been completely shattered, but its frame was still closed.

"No. She's in here somewhere. Strip the room apart." There was a large bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a closed closet. In the closet, there were two entrances, one requiring a key lock, and the other leading straight into a hidden passage. Behind the wardrobe, there was yet another crawlspace. Then on the underside of the desk, there was a key strapped it, and it opened the lock in the closet.

"Which one?" Molok asked, looking around with jerky movements of the head.

"I don't know…but I'm betting some are fakes." Rengir drew his brows together, looking just as mad as always.

Irafel, in a fit of frustration, grabbed the bedframe and flung it up, slapping mattress and all against the wall. Beneath it was a rug. There were streaks of blood on it, and it was curled up at a corner. Irafel ripped the rug away. He chuckled deeply, strong enough to immediately catch the others attention. "Rengir…we found her!" He smashed the hidden door away with his trench mace.

Molok looked at the secret passage and the blood that led into it. His good eye shined with eager sadism.

"Molok, after her! You'll fit through there the easiest." Rengir ordered.

Jaralis waltzed into the room, just as Molok slid into the crawlspace. Behind him, the fire was swirling in the hallway, eating away at every inch of the mansion. Rengir shook his head. "You couldn't have started that _after_ we left? We're still after one of them!"

Jaralis huffed with an arrogant smirk. He walked toward the window, smashing out its frame until the hole was large enough even for Irafel to fit through. "We're not humans. We can survive a jump from this height!" He looked up at the sky. "Anyway, if the girl does manage to escape…Uralsi will catch her."

Meanwhile, Edith had reached the end of the crawlspace. It was blindingly dark, and the floor was hot with flames broiling on the other side of the floor. Her timing was just right so it hadn't spread through the insulation and into the hidden crawlspace yet. She kicked out the weak piece of the wall and made it outside.

She circled around from the back of the mansion, the flickering orange from the windows illuminating an optimal path, then she cut through the fields. She tripped a few times on the soft, freshly tilled indents, getting dirt into her wounds, but the urgency coursing through her wouldn't let her stop. She pushed her endurance to her limits. It was only a few hundred feet away from the burning mansion when the four Siltvelt mercenaries appeared, running after her. Her only choice now was to yell as loud as she could.

"RUN! YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Several doors to demi-human cabins opened. As Van expected, there were plenty individuals who were too stressed to sleep, worried about their migration in the morning. They responded immediately to Edith's wailing. They wrinkled their brows above baggy eyes, looking on with concern and fright when they processed the burning mansion. They still hadn't gotten the message. "IT'S SILTVELT! WE NEED TO WARN THE QUEEN! SILTVELT IS INVADING MEL-"

A winged demi-human swept down from the sky, grabbing Edith by her shoulders, lifting her off the fields. Those who witnessed it felt their hearts drop, eyes locked on in ghastly disbelief. Their chests tightened, every breath applying pressure against the ribs, heart pounding with worry. They watched powerlessly as poor Edith was lifted higher and higher.

Edith, herself, watched the ground shrink beneath her kicking feet. "PLEASE! DON'T DROP ME! I BEG OF YOU!" Her heart sped, making her chest vibrate. She felt dizzy and breathless, her mind repeating the same words in a panic. _'I'M GONNA FALL, I'M GONNA DIE, I'M GONNA FALL, I'M GONNA DIE, I'M GONNA-'._ Then the bird-woman let go of her.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" The demi-humans covered their mouths, going breathless, some crying out with wide and teary eyes, as Edith dropped. She flailed her limbs helplessly, screaming the whole way down. Until a crackling thud caused dirt to fly up in the air. She didn't make another sound or movement after that. The bird-woman in the sky flew in a circle, her underside illuminated by the burning mansion across the tilled field. She then soared down, joining the other four mercenaries making their way to the settlement.

"Uralsi!" Rengir pursed his lips. "Was that the last one? We only found three people in the mansion."

"Positive." She replied with an unpleasant chuckle. "I've been circling the property for almost an hour now. There's more demi-humans here than there are regular ones."

"You mean weak ones." Jaralis smirked, walking with his chest out and shoulders drawn back. There was a gleam in his eyes as he approached the demi-human settlement.

Molok cackled, licking his teeth with a wild look in his good eye. "We need more _tasty_ ones."

"Give me one that could put up a good fight, at least." Irafel dragged his trench mace through the dirt, digging a deep line across the tills of the field.

Their figures cut like apocalyptic oracles against the blazing flames consuming their beloved nobleman's mansion. All the demi-humans were outside now. Families hugged each other as brave men stepped forth, shielding the women and children, with nothing but farming tools to defend themselves.

"We're an elite team of mercenaries from Siltvelt." Rengir said, eyeing them with an annoyed glare. "We've taken out armies with better training and bigger numbers than the lot of you attempting to defend easy targets with poor weapons. Stop it."

"Brethren!" Jaralis stepped forward, flashing a huge smile, showing off his teeth. "Are we not on the same side? You are _demi-humans_ on Melromarc soil! They treat you, superior beings, as accursed wretches!" He spread his arms wide, tilting his chin up. "Cease this foolishness! Come with us! We will show you the way that kings are meant to live!"

"Shut up!" A rabbit demi-human raised a pitchfork. "Van-sama was a good man! A true _noble_! You're nothing but terrorists if you're willing to murder good people for your ends!"

"When in enemy territory..." Rengir lowered his stance, speaking in a calm, raspy voice. Then he darted at the rabbitman. A long eared head rolled across the ground. "...trust _not_ the slave's decree of their master's virtue." The other men backed away from him, holding their farm tools uncertainly before themselves, shaking in fear.

"You got two options…" Rengir said, beckoning Irafel to walk up to his side. He followed suit, smacking his trench mace into his palm with intimidating ease. "Either come with us back to Siltvelt and renounce any ties with Melromarc…or die." His eyes squinted, bending the gnarled line on his face. "There is no negotiation."

Uralsi lifted her head, stretching the feathers out in her neck, observing the forest behind the cabins. "Molok, go sniff out any runaways in the woods. Demi-human or _tasty_ human." Uralsi caressed Molok with her wing. "They might've been hiding from me."

The milky eyed wolf nodded and snarled. He circled behind the group of demi-humans, slithering into the dark forest with predatory intent. As he slipped by, children squeezed their eyes shut and desperately clutched their parents, most crying. Sobs and snivels bounced throughout the crowd, while some just gasped in attempts to regain control over their breathing. They were trapped. With Molok just behind them while Rengir and Irafel stood before them, they saw there was no escape.

The roof of Van's mansion caved in, cementing the reality in that they had lost their former way of life. No, not lost. It was stolen from them.

"Oi, Jaralis?" Rengir turned his eyes to him. "_Really_…Did you _really_ have to set the place on fire? If we attract any Melromarc knights, or even worse…Faubley soldiers…I'm gonna cut your hands off and stab a note onto you, saying you did it."

Jaralis tipped his head back and laughed, unbothered by the remark. "Rengir…This is a domain that is _friendly_ to demi-humans… In _Melromarc_." He grinned, looking back at the inferno he caused. "Chances are, the knights here wouldn't care much for a place like this anyway."

The demi-humans that once could privy themselves as lucky, now found themselves at the awful end of a heartbreaking disaster. It was bad enough when they had to leave their crops to wilt. It was worse when they had to leave their homes and lives behind. However, now, they had to betray and blaspheme the honorable name and goodwill of a man who did everything in his power to give them happiness. What awaited them next, was a life led by a lie, and watching their children become brainwashed by those very lies, in a nation they never wanted to join.

It was a case of tragic irony. People who had done nothing but good, met an ill end, while a family more worthy of the fate those people suffered, were spared mercifully due to a serendipitous stroke of luck. All across Melromarc, similar situations were occurring to even more people, while fates more fitting for involved parties had struck as well. The country was being encroached upon from every angle, being slowly devoured by hostile forces with their own agendas, and no form of retaliation thought possible by any of them.

Except the Queen. She held out hope, putting her faith in a fact that has still evaded the world's attention. Yet, even she had a whole day left before she would reach the capital.


	23. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: You'll have to excuse a small deus ex machina of an explanation for a character that shows up here. A while back, I binge-read the manga (and Reprise of the Spear Hero), and while writing this, I needed a canon character to make the first part of this chapter work…and this character was the best fit. Needless to say, when writing a certain earlier chapter, I was not aware of their existence, so…my bad. If I didn't have a policy of not editing anything beyond spelling errors for past chapters, I would put some foreshadowing in to make this person less out of the blue. Oh well, live and learn. Hopefully it's plausible enough. _

_Also, the first part of this chapter is the last of any OC characters, which really, just serve as conduits for canon elements. And, with such little info on Faubley's army, small non-canon liberties have been taken to give a sense of military hierarchy. So don't worry, the main guys are here too. _

**10 Days until the Wave**

_Stomp, stomp, stomp._ The orderly march of 5000 soldiers beat into Melromarc soil, scarring its land proudly with their invasion. Rows of 10, columns of 10, divided into 50 squares of 100 marching soldiers, swept the landscape with thorough precision, leaving no stone unturned. Empty towns were pillaged for food, noble's mansions were made into temporary bases and remaining peoples were branded as prisoners of war.

Leading this army was an elite group of six old men; the Generals, driving Faubley's spearhead into the body of their enemy. Their march was intended both as a display of power as well as a ground-level survey. It would have been all too easy to raze the years of effort that generations spent building this nation. Series of infrastructures could have been utterly destroyed without a trace left; this was the power of Faubley, and the Pig King could have cared less if such happened.

Yet, due to the nature of Faubley's monarchy, political antagonism was rife. The Pig King sat in the throne, but it was his stewards who essentially ran the country. The Pig King thought of nothing beyond the indulgence of his carnal pleasures. The stewards, though, considered the opportunities which would span throughout the future. A particularly tantalizing thought were the advantages to be seized by claiming Melromarc as their own, absorbing its industries and taking their land. This left the military in a dichotomy. Leaving infrastructures in tact was fine, but how should they handle the prisoners of war they capture?

The stewards wanted them enslaved for free labor, eventually to turn Melromarc into a serfdom dedicated to low-cost, high-output production. The Pig King simply wanted the men killed and the woman brought to him, no exception. The military had to find a way to please both parties, but even they weren't split so evenly on the subject. Various opinions cluttered each rank, but it was only the six Generals whose thoughts mattered.

Some of them wanted to appease the King. Most out of fear for their safety, some to put themselves in favor of the highest authority. Those that didn't care for the King's demands then took up the orders of the Stewards, since they agreed with their idea of expansion. The two eldest Generals, whom the other Generals respected most, stood on opposite ends of the matter. General Raeus, a greedy man seeking only power, wished to please the King and gain his favor. General Frollomagne, a virtuous man of devout faith in both the Four Holy Heroes and the Seven Saints, inclined towards the Stewards orders. He considered it the lesser of two evils. If his honest opinion was asked for, he'd admit to desiring an overhaul of the whole system.

The six Generals raised their arms, signaling for a collective progress report from the city they've scavenged. The command rippled throughout the army ranks, squadron leader to platoon from squadron leader to platoon, until each of the five thousand redcoat soldiers were informed within a few minutes. General Frollomagne turned around and watched the army move in organized patterns. Grey-white hair framed a hard old face, falling down his head in wavy curls, mingling with the long mustache and beard spilling beneath his nose. His eyes burned with the wisdom and experience of a man who's fought his way through dangerous situations aplenty. Yet that same fire was tamed by a strong, righteous virtue.

To his side, desperate screams brought his attention to a squad of soldiers forcing a man and a woman apart. The man cried for his wife, wide eyes soaked to the brim, reaching out hopelessly with all his might as he was pinned by the redcoat soldiers. The woman's screams were loud and hoarse, sprung forth from an intense terror at knowing what her fate was to be. _A toy for the Pig King_. Their liberated demi-human slaves watched from afar, some conflicted, others happy.

General Frollomagne felt sick at the sight. _'We bear the honor of this world's most holy nation, yet this is what our ruler incites in people? Disgusting…'_ He clicked his tongue and turned away, unable to stomach the sight any longer. It wasn't the first time he had seen this, and it certainly wasn't the last.

He was but one of 6 generals, each of them with 8-9 Colonels under their command. There were fifty Colonels total, with one assigned to oversee a platoon of 100 soldiers, within which, a further descent of organized ranks formed a structured system for optimal coordination. This meant, despite being among two of the most respected Generals leading the army…he only had a say in the treatment of prisoners captured by _his_ subordinates solely.

The slave-owning couple was caught by the underlings of another General. Their punishment was not his to decide, and so Frollomagne was to leave it at that. But the woman's screaming continued, begging to be killed swiftly alongside her husband. There was only so much he could take.

"ENOUGH!" His voice crushed the cacophony, cutting a sudden silence. "Enslave them both or execute them both. Stop stringing this along, you have camp to make, don't you Soldiers?"

The soldiers stood straight and saluted him. Even if he wasn't their official superior, he was still a General. One of the two most respected, at that. Unfortunately for him though, these particular soldiers were the subordinates of his rival.

"Oi oi, Frollomagne…" General Raeus addressed him without rank, an acceptable practice usually reserved between friends. Of which Raeus and Frollomagne certainly were not. "Are you trying to convince my underlings to disobey the orders I had made clear for them? I am acting in the King's interests, after all."

"I am acting in Faubley's interests." Frollomagne remained calm. "Can you elaborate how the King's demands will be of benefit to our country?"

"He is King!" Raeus scolded. "_His_ word is _Faubley's_ word, and his orders were to kill the men and bring the women back to him!"

"You tell me nothing I'm unaware of." Frollomagne's reply was composed. "But what good does it do to grant Melromarc's men the mercy of a quick death, while sentencing their women to torture of the most sickening kind, of which they will be denied a death from?"

"Punishment, my comrade!" Raeus smiled. "They've enjoyed the fruits of unfair privilege granted unto them by a sinful country…it's about time they reap what they've sown!"

"So we must cleanse the sins of Melromarc by feeding them to the sins that have crept their way atop our own nation?" Frollomagne glared at him. "A piggish king and a traitorous hero…perhaps treachery is atavistic in that particular line of royalty, eh?"

"_General_ Frollomagne…" Raeus said, voice hard. "I would suggest you choose your words carefully. Being of esteemed rank does not excuse you from speaking blasphemy."

Frollomagne scoffed. "I speak no blasphemy, just fact. Luge is a traitor, a disgrace to the Seven Star Heroes, and the King is his elder sibling." A mere look from him was all it took to make his point sink in. If there was one thing that truly separated Frollomagne from Raeus, it was that his authority was more than just a badge and a title. To Raeus, that badge and title was everything, and he knew how to use it to its fullest extent. Without it, however, he was just conniving. Dangerously so, though. He was not to be underestimated.

Frollomagne was different; authority seeped into his very presence, making his words potent, soaking them with power. "Therefore, in my opinion, it is the holiest of duties to be cognizant of a more fitting progeny from the hero's bloodline. One who can assume the role of King for our great nation! If we forget what we as a country stand for, then we become vulnerable against a deceiver who speaks in appealing platitudes!"

Raeus scowled, thinking quickly for a way to twist Frollomagne's words against him.

"Enough of this!" Another General, Galfrey, stepped between them. "We were given two orders to follow through with, and the authority who bestowed them transcends you _both_. General Frollomagne, you're free to exercise mercy over the women your subordinates imprison, but General Raeus is right as well. We must limit how many women we spare from the King. Too many, and his Highness may question where the toys-" Galfrey grimaced. "-women…he is expecting have gone. From reports, batches of Melromarc's population have relocated in the capital. So as of yet, the numbers are smaller than what the King was expecting."

The fact that there were "numbers" at all made Frollomagne sick. He wanted to vomit, but held it down. He hated the Pig King. As a devout believer in the holy ways of the Heroes, he placed much faith in the God of their world and lived by it. His personal honor allowed him to see the Pig King for what he really was. Raeus merely sought power, and thus, had no shame in appealing to a vile being crowned king if it was the fastest way to the top. Their conflict served as a classic example of the political upheavals that plagues Faubley.

"General Galfrey!" A Colonel yelled out, approaching them with a prisoner. She was rugged in appearance, wearing only a torn, dirty peasant midi, as if she'd been homeless and on the run for the past few weeks. She had a fierce look in her piercing blue eyes under strawberry blonde hair. At a glance, every experienced soldier could see she was no average woman. _She was dangerous_; the present Generals and Colonels recognized it immediately. Her wrists were bound at her back, while a confiscated sword she kept eyeing was carried by the escorting Colonel. "We found her camping out in one of the taverns! She took out several of the Lieutenants and Cadets with nothing but the back side of this sword before we could subdue her!"

"Oh?" Raeus raised a brow. "Impressive! That's no small feat, girl. It was also smart of you to spare them, otherwise we would have executed you on the spot." He studied her. "Even still, our Cadets show no hesitation immobilizing an opponent with a shot to the leg."

The woman raised her chin. "I am a former knight of Melromarc, after all."

Raeus drew back his smirk, seeing his attempt to get under her skin fail. Galfrey stepped forward, annoyed. "For what purpose do you bring her to me? I'm sure I made your orders clear, Colonel."

The Colonel saluted. "Aye, you did Sir! However…" His face became troubled. "Upon questioning her, we uncovered a rather troubling story. She was held prisoner within the depths of Melromarc's castle, and thus witnessed the destruction wrought upon it by the Spear Hero!"

Galfrey was still displeased. "And what about her story troubles you?"

The Colonel swallowed. "She mistakenly believed the attack to have been carried out by Faubley! The weaponry used was not that of the Legendary Spear, but what she described as _successive torrents of bullets that annihilated every square inch of stone architecture_." He repeated her words slowly, obviously disturbed by the description. "She insists what she says is true, and the details she provides are too exact for one to conjure without having witnessed something of this magnitude. I could not help but be concerned by this finding."

Galfrey blinked, annoyance gone, not knowing how to respond. The more he thought about what he heard, the more things didn't add up. The imprisoned woman undoubtedly described manmade technology, nothing like what the Legendary Weapon would produce…but the castles destruction occurred a mere 3 days after the heroes were summoned.

This meant that this was a power that the Spear Hero either had inherently…or Queen Mirellia and King Aultcray have been developing superior Faubley-styled technology, and the Spear Hero got a hold of it. The latter hypothesis posed a dire issue for them if true, especially since it implied there may be more than one such weapon. The other Generals drew the same conclusion immediately without conversing, testimony to their worth of the rank they all reached.

"Does this warrant an airstrike?" Galfrey asked Raeus and Frollomagne. "I know we agreed to maintain an invasion of ground troops so we can conserve the planes for the Wave but if there are secret weapons King Aultcray helped developed..." He looked out at the soldiers working. "This may pose a threat that would needlessly claim the lives of hundreds, perhaps even _thousands_, of our troops!"

"I approve." Frollomagne said without hesitation. "Nothing disgusts me more than the thought of that shameful traitor counterfeiting the genius inventions of Faubley, bloodline be damned. All so he could help build a corrupt nation."

"Ah, I see you and I are capable of agreement after all, comrade!" Raeus sneered. "I approve too."

The other Generals agreed, and so, the decision to employ use of aerial bombs on the day of invasion had been officiated. They would need to gather more information on the state of Melromarc's capital before they decided how to utilize it specifically, since they preferred the bulwark of its population alive.

However, before the General left…

"General Galfrey…" Raeus called out. "Before you go, please remind me what _order_ you gave your soldiers?"

Galfrey stopped in his tracks. Frollomagne's head perked up, eyes worried. Galfrey glanced at him, then looked at Raeus. He swallowed the anxious knot in his throat.

"To send the women we capture to King Faubley."

The young woman's face paled around hardened eyes. Raeus smiled.

"Fitting, I believe. You did say that this woman was a prisoner of Melromarc. And if she was held within the castle's dungeon, rather than a regional jail, then surely her crime was atrocious!" He justified.

"What was your crime, Miss?" Frollomagne stepped in. Though Raeus made a solid point, he wanted to hear her side before making any judgment calls. The woman turned to him, her shaky voice betraying the panic she suppressed.

"I feel obligated to admit that the official reports state my sentence was due to attacking citizens of Melromarc…"

Frollomagne raised both brows over a small frown. _'A woman of honor, she didn't have to admit that... __though she might just be__ cautio__us__ in case we __find her __court records…'_ "And what do _you_ say? An official report may not even be half a story…or an accurate one."

The woman met Frollomagne's eyes, easing some of her worries as she could sense he, too, was a man of honor. As the saying goes, it takes one to know one. "I was defending a sanctuary of demi-humans from Melromarc knights that attacked them without reasonable cause. King Aultcray imprisoned me for such actions due to his prejudice for them…"

A fire burst in Frollomagne's chest and he squinted with a deep exhale. _'Of course that __**fucking**__ traitor would do something so despicable…' _

"Be that as it may, Miss…" Raeus rubbed his chin. "What is your name?"

She turned to him, her unease returning. "Éclair. Éclair Seatto."

"Éclair…the fact is, you had still turned against your fellow knights, did you not?" Raeus spoke through stiff lips, holding back a grin.

Éclair choked on her answer before she could get it out.

"**I don't care.**" Frollomagne growled.

"Oi, Oi! General Frollomagne!" Raeus turned to him, the grin he'd been holding barely revealed by a turned up corner of the mouth. "You are outnumbered in the decision of what her fate shall-" Then he shut up, smirk gone, as Frollomagne's angry glare siphoned him of all things but fear.

It was no longer about sending just _some_ woman to the Pig King. Frollomagne's hatred of King Aultcray was an open secret, and no one dared get in the way of it. He scowled, and in response, Raeus hunched his back nervously.

"Faubley's traitor, the Seven Star's worst shame, is responsible for the imprisonment of a good woman…and you try to make _that_ a proper pretense for her to be tortured?" Frollomagne huffed. "Disgusting."

Raeus may have been scared, but he was no coward. Nor was he stupid. A General of Faubley, in no way, shape or form, could ever be either. Especially one that sought their way up the ranks by any means necessary. "Be that as it may, for what purpose would she stay alive? To satisfy your grudge? Would you disguise such a decision under the argument "_we must be better than Luge and do the opposite of him?"_ Be practical here!"

Frollomagne looked at Éclair. "Seaetto, you say? I am to assume that makes you the daughter of Lord Seaetto, right?"

Éclair nodded. "Yes."

"Hm." Frollomagne nodded too. "Then if I'm not mistaken, you are among the top 5 swordswoman of Melromarc, are you not?"

She nodded again, pride in her face.

"What?!" Raeus shook his head. "How do you know that?"

Frollomagne turned only his eyes to him. "I keep up with the politics of Melromarc. You didn't think my _grudge_ for the traitor is merely a blind bias, did you?" He closed his eyes and raised his arm. "GENTLEMEN!" He swung it down, pointing at Éclair. "It would be a wasted opportunity to execute this woman. Her skills are nothing to scoff at! I propose that we keep her as a prisoner of war, and sentence her to be an instructor for our troops! Train them in the fine art of the sword, so that if any of our men find themselves without a rifle or bullets, they have a final weapon at their side to resort to."

The other Generals perked their brows up, genuinely pleased with the suggestion. Even Raeus was forced to concede due to the practicality of such. Éclair, however, wasn't fond of it. In spite of her horror at the fate awaiting the Pig King's clutches, her honor was indomitable. It was what got her through her imprisonment. It was all she had left.

"I couldn't possibly train an army that is hostile to my country! It is tantamount to betrayal!" She stomped, glaring at Frollomagne.

He looked at her, she didn't flinch. She would rather be tortured to death than be of help in the ruin of her country. Such was her virtue. He slowly walked to her and she held her ground, maintaining that same glare, daring him to force her. To even try. He stood in front of her, bearded face looking down, meeting her hard eyes with a powerful look. He bent forward, leaning close to her ear.

"Please…" He spoke softly. "You are a good woman who has been wronged by a disgraceful wretch. I am doing this to spare you. I care not for how efficiently you train my men. Just put up a show as to prove your usefulness…I've got enough blood on my hands as is. I beg you, let me not further stain them with yours."

Éclair jerked her head back to meet his eyes again. They were pained, but honest.

_ 'Put up a show…'_ She considered his words, wavering. She saw in his eyes a whole history that has wrought him with much regret. She understood it all too well; living by good will and honor, especially in this world of theirs, was not an easy path. "Fine." She sighed in a whisper.

She couldn't see his face, still next to her ear, but she heard a satisfied sniff. "Thank you." He whispered as he pulled back. "Put a Slave Crest on her. Assign her to me." He ordered his Colonel subordinate.

No words between them were exchanged as it was painted, but they both knew that it was only for show. He had no commands for her. The army then continued about their duties as an airstrike on Melromarc's capital was ordered. Éclair observed everything, taking in as much information as she could, in the event she had a chance to report her findings to Queen Mirellia.

She watched soldiers scour the landscape on foot, but soon saw they didn't travel across the country the same way. Well-bred horses stood tall amongst them, with convoys of steampunk vehicles stationed defensively at the center of camp, shut off to conserve limited fuel sources. Caged wagons for POW's accompanied the convoys, with protruding hitches that could attach either to vehicles or multiple horse reins.

The POW's were divided based on age, sex and servility. Any man who put up a fight was killed on the spot. Any woman who put up a fight was slated to become a toy for the Pig King, regardless of the soldier's orders. Éclair's stomach twisted at the realization that she should have been one of them. Honor aside, she did feel extremely grateful for having been spared. Any children that fought were bound, even beaten if problems continued, but spared their lives unconditionally. Any person that complied without resistance was merely exploited for labor. Between involuntary shifts, they were forced to study, or be taught from, doctrines specifically written for Melromarc's citizens. It educated them on faith in the Four Heroes and the Seven Star Heroes alike, but with a catch.

Though it was objectively better to tutor them out of their belief in the Three Heroes Church, the potential benefits of such were squandered by the context within which it was taught. Yes, they were told that all four heroes, including the Shield, were equally important. Yes, they were taught that Vassal Weapon Wielders are as important as the Four Heroes.

It was then explained that Heroes are an existence as close to God as anything material. It was that logic from which the holiness of the heroes spawns from, thus regarding them as deserving of praise and worship. Indeed, a sound belief, compared to the spiteful icon-warfare based in political favoritism; but the problem lay therein. Once these teachings were carefully impressed upon them, this new information was capped by an arrogant declaration.

Faubley has a history of breeding its royal lineage with that of Heroes, the Four Saints and Seven Stars alike. Thus, in their culture, they are the _second_ closest thing to God, immediately following the Heroes. A convenient narrative that grants them supremacy. With Faubley being the most sovereign country, holding enough resources and power to bend the world to its whims should it need to, this belief is unchallenged.

'_They all seem to be slave-owning families, __though__. __Has Mirellia passed through here already? That would explain it. But then, the situation for her must be terribly dire if she's being exclusive in whom she warns.' _Eclair brought her hand to her chin._ 'In a sense, __though, __there can be _some_ good extracted from this situation __then__...__but I wonder...__'_ She looked at General Frollomagne, overseeing his army with a stern look, as if he acted on a purpose he kept to himself.

"General?" She caught his attention. "If I may ask, why is it that Faubley is attacking us? Forgive my ignorance, but since the castle had been destroyed, I've been on the run."

"That's right, you were operating on the assumption that we were already attacking, correct?" He turned to her.

She nodded. "You can imagine my concern when I crossed through deserted towns, yet my confusion to find not a single soldier of Faubley until now."

Eclair and Frollomagne had no idea that many Nobles, and commoners who could afford to, had already moved, before the Queen even came to their town. Just to be near the casino.

"Hm." He smirked. "I see no coincidence in a good woman like you being spared the Spear Heroes wrath. How exactly did you survive?"

There was no pride in her expression, only relief as she spoke. "In the dungeon, my arms were bound upwards to chains from the ceiling. So when the ceiling fell apart, I was freed immediately. So as destruction rained upon me, all I did was charge forward, desperately, leaping down into the rock chasm surrounding the castles foundation. I hid in a crevice, away from stray bullets, and stayed there until nightfall came. I climbed out and sprinted away, sparing no time to inspect things. I assumed the town to have been under Faubley's occupation by then."

"Ha!" Frollomagne chuckled. "Far from the truth, we had no idea of this event until much later! Say, before I explain myself, would you happen to be privy to any secret weaponry that your Queen or…" His eyes squinted. "_King_…had been developing? At least, what you'd be willing to admit. I'd rather not invoke your Slave Crest, unless I'm forced to."

"There is no need, I can't say I'm aware of anything." She shook her head. "But if the Queen had ordered the production of secret weapons, I would think, at least, some knights she trusted would be informed. Unless she withheld such, to prevent complaints of favoritism." Éclair thought for a moment. "Does this have to do with your presence here?"

He flattened his mouth. "No. This is something else entirely. I'll be brief. King Aultcray, or the _traitor_ as I call him, had summoned all four heroes in Melromarc, against the order which had been agreed upon during an international conference. Apparently, it was also against your Queen's wishes too."

"WHAT?!" Her eyes went wide. "That bastard!" She turned her head down in shame, face crumpled.

"That's not all I'm afraid, Miss Seaetto."

"Huh?"

"Queen Mirellia had, to my understanding since I wasn't present, put on a clever display of wit to convince everyone not to attack. In spite of what the traitor has become, the world remembers the might of his unfathomable genius. Leaders still quiver at the thought of incurring his disfavor. Not to mention that with the four heroes in your nation, she convinced the world leaders that it was in their best interest to leave Melromarc as is…" Frollomagne's eyes darkened. "Only to then discover the Spear Hero killed Aultcray and Princess Malty."

Elcair's stomach plunged, hauling an overwhelming chill across her.

"A major part of the Queen's negotiation's included a deal concerning Princess Malty and our King…but with her dead, and the threat of the Cane Hero removed…well…" Frollomagne gave Éclair a pained, almost sympathetic, smile. "Here we all are."

Éclair grit her teeth and whipped her head away, flinging tears from her eyes. "That…what a dishonorable wretch!" She growled. "Poor Queen Mirellia…she must be in so much pain…and Princess Melty too…" She brought her hand to her mouth at the thought of the innocent little girl, thrust into sudden tragedy.

Frollomagne turned away from her, giving her the respect of shedding tears without prying eyes, and looked towards the sky. He held his hands behind his back, tilting his chin up, observing the sun painting the tops of clouds with wispy touches of gold. "Éclair, will you humor my thoughts as I share them aloud? Though I must forewarn you, they may not be something you readily agree with…"

She looked at him, still pained, but curiously. She wiped the tears off her face, softening her reddened eyes. "There can be no productive discussion unless people are willing to share their honest thoughts, and hear them out, no?"

He turned to her and smiled. "I agree." He drew in a deep breath, looking back towards the sky. "I believe that the events which have transpired are _meant to be_. The work of God itself! You are a good woman, Éclair, but even so, as one who is loyal to Melromarc, I feel compelled to remind you…that both Melromarc and Siltvelt have bastardized the ways of God. Shieldfreeden, Zeltobe and other countries are not exempt, but these two are the greatest offenders.

"What with Melromarc and its strange emphasis of three heroes, and Siltvelt with its unnatural worship of one. The weapon themselves don't matter, the fact is that these factions arose out of political propaganda, and have now evolved into false religions. It is only natural that Faubley, the nation of the hero's bloodline, be the one to correct this."

"B-but the Queen! She despises the Three Heroes Church!" Éclair defended. "General, you seem educated in our nation's affairs! Surely you are aware then, that if Queen Mirellia had her way, not only would all four heroes be equally worshiped, but demi-human slavery would cease to exist! She wants social equality for all!"

"I am aware, and for that, your Queen has my respect." He brought a finger to his lips. "But that is to remain between us." He smirked with a wink, then became serious again. "However, Éclair, there is a major flaw I must point out for you…" His face hardened. "The power Queen Mirellia has was not _all_ her own. She would not have been able to achieve what she has, to rule as powerfully as she does, without help from that traitor…a man of _Faubley's royal bloodline_. A man who was once worthy of the Vassal Cane.

"And yet, that same man is responsible for keeping that corrupted church of incomplete worship, against your Queen's intents…and that same man is the one who allowed the very slavery your Queen wished to eradicate, keeping it strong and thriving. The reason I call him a _traitor_ is so I never forget _what it is_ he has betrayed. But now that the traitor is gone, even if Faubley had refrained from attacking…do you believe the Queen would unequivocally be able to have her way now? Do you truly believe that, if things had proceeded as they are but without our invasion, that the Queens ideal society would come to be?"

Éclair turned down, ashamed. "No."

"And why not?"

Her lips tightened. "Because, as you said, King Aultcray, the Cane Hero, was half of her power. Not all nobles obey her merely because she is the highest authority, but with the Cane Hero under her, they were a lethal combination. Her silver tongue and cunning wit mixed with his strategic genius and mighty reputation made for a terrifying pair. Without him, it pains me to admit this, but Melromarc would have dissolved into a civil war, with over half the country most likely electing a noble who supports both the Three Heroes Church and human supremacy."

Frollomagne nodded. "You see? It is simply impossible for your Queen's noble vision to be manifested upon corrupt soil, tainted through years of a false religion and the sins of our holy nation's traitor. So thus, Faubley enters as the God-given cure to a disease of blasphemy. It is only right, you understand?"

Éclair couldn't bring herself to nod, but she couldn't feel entirely disagreeing either.

Frollomagne clasped his hands in prayer, paying respect to the God of their world. "It is in my personal opinion, as a holy man, that things are unfolding in a manner most necessary. The heroes belong in Faubley, and dare I say that we are merely acting out the forces of destiny to bring about what the spirits in the air have decided."

"So its destiny that you conquer Melromarc and take all four heroes for yourself in one swoop?" Her eyes snapped to his.

"Fret not, for that is a limited perspective!" He became passionate, his eyes shining with purpose. "I have preached many times to my men, that the King of Faubley is a foul, unworthy evil that should be excised from the throne! I say this, because I know of a great man who is most deserving of becoming the leader of our Holy Nation!"

Éclair found herself captivated by his eyes, burning deeply with meaning. "There is a new Vassal Wielder in Faubley! He is everything they say the traitor once was, but even better! His prodigious talent is unheard of, his power unbelievable, and his genius? Unimaginable! He alone has uplifted Faubley's technology to new heights, and as a hero? How God has blessed him, he is capable of wielding not merely one, not merely two…but FIVE different Vassal Weapons!"

"F-FIVE!?" Éclair stuttered. "Impossible!"

"It is not!" Frollomagne was quick to impress the reality of his words. "As I have said. He is a Legendary Hero unlike any which history has seen before! Therefore, I proclaim, it is DESTINY in the works! It is FATE that the Four Heroes who have been unrightfully summoned in Melromarc come to the holy land and unite forces with the Hero of the Whip!"

Éclair was stunned. She had no idea such a man existed. "General Frollomagne, what is the name of this man you speak of? I profess my ignorance in that I can't say that any individual comes to mind."

Frollomagne smiled. "Of course we wouldn't want to share him with the world until the time is right! But as General of this army, doing God's work, I cannot help but believe I am witnessing something higher than any of us, and it is working its magic on us all. Nonetheless, Éclair, this man, the Genius of Faubley…" He looked her in the eyes, and she looked back, entranced by the sense of spiritual divination radiating from him. _"_His name_…_is_ Takt Faubley!"_

**8 Days until the Wave**

Trees blurred beside him. Wind rushed against his face, deafening, immersed in his personal hurricane, his whole body cutting through the air like a bird. _No_. Like a jet. He zig zagged mid-air, dodging sudden trees, twirling through branches, moving at a speed that would have killed a normal person. But leveling up in this world made one stronger and faster, with senses that adapted to the increase in stats.

_ 'I wonder if this is how Killua and Hajime feel!?'_ Kazuma thought as he flew through the forest with his 3D maneuver gear.

He pushed a button on the side of the left-hand crossbow. A harpoon-like arrow at his left hip exploded forward. The coils unraveled in hypnotic spirals until it lodged itself in a thick tree, pulling the coil taut. Kazuma's body yanked to the left like a titan itself had pulled him, but he moved naturally with the momentum, smiling all the while.

_ 'The agility, the speed, both keeping me airborne from the sheer force of it all…this is awesome! And Killua's faster than this? Hell, if I was ever sad, I'd just go out for a lightning-rushed run and feel better!' _Kazuma thought to himself. Then frowned slightly. _'But I guess if this was normal to me, its novelty would basically be lost.'_ He released the left-coil and shot the right one upwards, nailing the top of a tall tree, and angling his body like a space launch. _'Well, if I can get better at this, then maybe I can take him out here and help get his mind off things too.'_

Both Kazuma and Hajime have noticed Killua becoming more withdrawn over the past few days. The reason? It was nearing the end of a whole month since his sister had been abandoned. Killua never mentioned it outright, but it was obvious to the two of them that was what bothered him. Naturally, they both agreed to do what they could to help cheer their friend up. So today, Hajime took a break from his projects to try something with Killua, while Kazuma left for his daily practice with his 3D gear.

The coil at his right pulled taut, wrenching him up, the speed pushing his cheeks back into his ears. There was a small opening between the canopy tops, and though the forest ceiling was just leaves and branches…he knew how bad they can hurt when whacking him at these speeds. He learned this from personal experience, the extra hard way. He had been practicing with the 3D Gear Hajime had given him non-stop, and his first week had been a series of embarrassing failures.

_ 'But not even Eren Yeager got it down his first try.' _He smirked, squinting his eyes against the wind rush._ 'Though it would have been nice to be a natural at it like Mikasa…c'mon luck stat, do your job!'_ He thought, half-joking.

His exit drew near. A small break that revealed a glimpse of the bright blue sky, surrounded by layers of branches ready to claw at him. With the metal coil hauling him upwards, he angled his feet towards the sky and shielded his face, aiming to kick through. He pierced, like an arrow through a thin slit, and broke over the canopy tops. Flung into the air, suspended, it felt like he was flying. Unbound by gravity, he enjoyed the floating feeling as the coils retracted fully at his hips, returning with loud clacks. Propelled by nothing but force, as if Megumin channeled an explosion through a pipe his width, he screamed out to express the excitement his racing heart produced.

"WOOOOO!" Before him was an open field, crawling with monsters. Many of them turned up his way after screaming. None of them were that high of level, but every kill counted. When gravity placed its gentle touch upon him, he aimed both his crossbows at the field. "SNIPE!" He squeezed the triggers.

10 arrows per 1.5 seconds, and since this is a Legendary Weapon, at least a third of the arrows would reappear in the cartridge once they struck their target. The monsters in the field didn't stand a chance. A hail of super-powered arrows honed in with individual precision, killing each creature with a single blow. As Kazuma fell back toward the earth, a translucent set of numbers scrolled in his vision, indicating a raise in level for both himself and his party. He smirked, then shot the coil from his right hip at the top of a nearby tree.

He broke through the canopy with a few arrows and a kick, then bobbed, weaved, spun and flipped with acrobatic fluidity at calculated trajectories, until he reached the ground. With a coil lodged in a tree he skid in an arc, digging steel braces on his boot heel into the dirt, spraying the forest floor up where he cut into the ground, slowing to a halt. He transformed his weapon, changing the 3D gear in a bright flash to a bow slung over his shoulder. He stood up straight.

"Yo!" He bounced his hand off his forehead, saluting the stunned faces of his party. There was a cool aura to him that left them in awe.

"W-wow, Kazuma-sama!" A young paladin, now nicknamed Slayer-Strayer, stood shocked with sparkling eyes. "That was amazing!"

"I'll say!" Galeff, their largest adventurer, said with a thumbs up.

"Huh…" A brunette woman huffed. "Well, Kazutrash-sama _is_ a hero, after all. I kinda forget with all the pervy, sleazy, creepiness." Kazuma's shoulders twitched, dimming his aura of awesomeness.

"Don't worry, I do too." Ritsuka said to her.

They spoke low, but not exactly in whispers. Kazuma heard them, but couldn't bear to even glance, lest his pride shrivel from awkwardness. Considering his latest installment in the casino…he knew he had it coming. So he ignored them with as crafty of tact as he could.

"You've shown great improvement!" A gangly mage commented, returning Kazuma's cool aura. "You were much more graceful than the first time you tried using that thing. Remember when you had sling-shot yourself right into a tree? You curled into a ball and clutched at your family jewels for a straight ten minutes!"

"AH, HEY!" His cool aura fizzled out entirely. "Don't remind me of such a lame memory! Plus it still hurts to think about…" He grabbed his groin in reminiscent pain.

The Old Mage, Galeff and Slayer-Strayer shared a hearty laugh and Kazuma couldn't find himself mad at them.

"Kazuma-sama…" Ritsuka walked up to him. His gut twisted as she did, anticipating a deluge of insults amidst praise. "I'm glad you're taking your role more seriously now, but I'm not sure if I can condone your unorthodox method of becoming stronger."

_ 'OH PHEW!' _He relaxed his shoulders_. 'SHE'S JUST GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING!' _

"Past texts reveal a consistent pattern in how the heroes should level up traditionally, and-"

"Oi, Ritsuka, I understand how you must feel as an inhabitant of this world…" Kazuma rubbed his thumb over the jewel of his Legendary Weapon. "But the more I learn about how to level up, the more I see just how game-like this world really is…and how broken the balance is with Killua and Hajime involved. Take this for instance…" He pointed at her sword. "When I first came to this world, if I was to face you with your sword, unarmed, do you think I'd stand a chance for even 5 seconds?"

"No." She replied without hesitation.

Kazuma smiled. "Try it now…of course, hold back if you want, but…" He thought for a second, then picked up a piece of wood from the ground. "Here, actually...pierce this." He held it a foot away from his chest.

"Hmm." Ritsuka accepted the challenge, having noticed the drastic improvement in his strength and reflexes.

Her sword rung as it withdrew. She observed the hero whom she served, feeling unnerved by his cocky smirk. _'__I'm going to pretend that piece of wood is your face...' _Her muscles clenched, building power for a quick release._ 'This is for building such a __DISGUSTING__, DISGRACEFUL ESTABLISHMENT!__' _With the speed of a snap, she thrust her sword at him, closing in on the wood too fast for him to move…if her underestimations were correct. In that snap second, Kazuma's free hand moved in sync with her thrust, and the tip of her sword slid directly between his fingers.

"HUH?" Her eyes went wide. The tip of her sword was but a mere inch away from the wood, yet his pinch was strong enough to catch it. Granted, if she had intended to harm him, her thrust would have been stronger, especially since his party's levels increase as a byproduct of raising his own. It would have forced him to take more evasive actions, but that was it. The feat he performed now was undeniably amazing.

"See what I mean?" He released it, smiling proudly, excited to have caught her sword with his fingers. "When an attack comes my way, it's as if everything starts to move in slow motion, and as you can see, my strength is now borderline superhuman. This is all due to my level being raised. The number ascribed to me determines my strength, my stamina, and the efficiency and power with my weapon."

Ritsuka's mouth dropped into a gaping smile. "I'm impressed! Sincerely!" Then she furrowed her brows. "But what does this have to do with Killua-sama and Hajime-sama?"

He shook his head with disbelief. "Despite what you just saw of me, I'm nowhere near Killua's _base_ level of strength yet, and Hajime is like _10x_ that…and neither of them have been leveling up…" Kazuma's eyes grew hard. "So I want you to think about how _they'll_ be affected by _raised __stats_…"

The thought brought a chill to Ritsuka's heart. "And their levels will _definitely_ raise during the first Wave."

"Exponentially, cuz I'm assuming the monsters there will be higher level than anything out in that field." Kazuma's eyes remained hard.

Ritsuka hardened hers as well. _'He must be worried whether or not he can continue to contain them…'_

Meanwhile, in Kazuma's head_... 'If they start leveling up soon, I'm gonna lose the edge I've gained…I WANT TO BE AS POWERFUL AS KILLUA FOR AT LEAST A __**FEW**__ MINUTES!'_ His only concern was catching up with one of them for as short a period he could maintain.

The disconnect between them couldn't be further.

Kazuma sighed. "Anyway, let's head back to town. I think we've trained enough today!"

With nods and murmured agreements, the party surrounded Kazuma and they walked back to the Castle Town. They walked out the forest, trotting along a dirt path that slithered its way into the town's entrance. Members of his party conversed amongst each other, dividing themselves into several distinct conversations. Kazuma kept himself out of it.

There was an edge to each conversation, a tension birthed from an unspoken rule that everyone knew to follow. It was to pretend Kazuma's newest addition to the casino—his "solution" to the matriarchy—didn't exist. The woman in his party had been absolutely aghast at it, while most of the men we're simply creeped out. Most, _not_ all. Regardless, it gave Kazuma the perfect pretense to keep to himself.

_ "Do me a favor when you get the chance…"_ He thought back to Killua's request before leaving. _"I want you to profile every member of your party the best you can. The King, Myne and the Three Heroes Church still have supporters out there, and we can't overlook that some of them tried to make their first move when they assigned us party members."_

Kazuma walked with his hands behind his head, slyly observing the people packed around him. _'Ritsuka…seems genuine. The fact that her opinion of Killua has changed over the course of time honestly doesn't come off as an act. Plus the reason she got elected as an interim ruler is because she highlighted the issue of undercover factions possibly taking control…I trust her. Galeff, Slayer-Strayer and that Old Mage, I can tell from a glance, wouldn't have even stayed adventurers if it wasn't me they teamed up with.'_ Ever since Kazuma had stolen the panties of a Sorceress, who not-by-coincidence left the party the next day, their loyalty towards him seemed to have actually increased. Tenfold, in fact, with his newest addition to the casino. Their motives were as clear as day.

_ 'Lojir and Verest seem like adventurers just trying to make a name for themselves, and I was their best opportunity. I can't tell if they're loyal, but they don't seem to have any real ulterior motives. Then there's Elena Haven.'_ Elena was in the middle of a conversation with Ritsuka when her eyes met Kazuma's.

"Uh…" He stuttered, not sure how to react being caught staring. She then scrunched her face and crossed her arms over her chest, shielding herself. _'NOOOOOOOO!'_ He mentally despaired. He brought his hand up to his mouth, holding his face like he was about to cry. _'My reputation just keeps getting worse and worse…even though I'm totally not helping it get better.'_

He shrugged it off. Overcoming self-inflicted shame was becoming a habit. _'Anyway, I get the feeling that she doesn't want to be an adventurer in the first place. She's a noble, right? Maybe there's some__thing __family-related__ she's avoiding, or maybe she was forced into this? Who knows...__'_ Kazuma exhaled, tallying most of the members of his party and deeming them harmless.

This left one which he already had concerns about, even before Killua's request. His eyes shot towards a large man dressed in a suit of armor. His visor was lifted, revealing a mean round face with a mustache. This man was the one party member Kazuma wished _would_ leave. He was a self-righteous bully who, in spite of the King's and Myne's trial, still hates the Shield Hero. He hated Killua even more when he hired demi-humans to work at their casino.

_ 'Mald…'_ Kazuma rubbed the back of his hand, worried. _'Is he just an arrogant prick…or is there something more to him? Either way, he's the one I'll tell Killua to keep an eye out on the most.'_

They entered the Castle Town. The steel braces on Kazuma's boot heels clacked as he walked. Accompanying his feet whenever he used his 3D Gear, they were designed specifically for skidding across stone surfaces. The party walked through, heads held high as common folk regarded them with respect and awe. Kazuma furrowed his brows, whipping his head back and forth. _"_Hold on…there's a hell of a lot more people here now! Humans AND demi-humans!"

"Many noble families have moved closer to the capital because of the opportunities your casino provides." Ritsuka said, eyeing him as if he should be more aware how much they're transforming their society. "I'd expect even more people to come soon."

"Hehhh?" Kazuma looked around, curious and proud. Ritsuka said no more, seeing him satisfied with her explanation. These were her orders.

It was over a week prior that she was approached by a woman who dressed as a noble, but Ritsuka suspected was actually one of the Queen's Shadow's. She was given a simple order: _"Keep the invasion of Faubley a secret from the Heroes, as best as you can."_ Ritsuka suspected no ill intent from the Queen, but when she pressed the suspected Shadow for the reason of such a strange request, the Shadow repeated words she accredited to Mirellia. "The one who controls the flow of information holds the advantage."

Eventually, Ritsuka could only pinpoint one solid theory to make of those words. _'She wants their help in fighting off Faubley, but knows they won't cooperate with her __so easily__. If they start taking action against Faubley now, our forces would be a nuisance to them...but if she reveals this news to them as if she's already engaged in it, __it would make her seem less desperate. She assumes, and rightfully I believe, that they'd be more willing to help someone they deem proactive and competent.'_

Kazuma waved back to a group of children flailing excitedly at him, as if it was their first time seeing one of the Heroes._'__They must be new here. Damn, if we got more people coming,__ we should start building apartments! __We can charge rent and rake in even more__-'_ Kazuma stopped, eyes wide and shaking. He screamed out in anguish.

"NOOOOOOO!" He broke into a sprint, piercing through from the center of his party.

"Kazuma?!" Ritsuka yelled, drawing her sword and pointing in his direction. "Follow him!" She ran after, party in tow.

The town's people watched fearfully as Kazuma booked it towards the casino. He ran past the wall that Hajime transmuted and dropped to his knees, skidding to a stop. He clutched his hair and looked up toward the sky. "HE SHOT IT OFF!"

Ritsuka and the rest of the party stopped behind Kazuma, all of them turning their faces up to the top of the casino. A broken sign was bolted to the three spires, reading "-Pirates Treasure". The left side of the sign was broken off, cutting out another word that was supposed to be part of its name. Ritsuka's eyes twitched.

"K-Kazuma…" Her voice bordered on a growl. "Is this what you were screaming about?"

"He destroyed my sign!" He whipped his head to her, pointing hastily up at it.

"I'm out of here." Elena said, leaving with the wave of her hand. Lojir and Verest followed her.

He didn't care. "Oi, Galeff! Slayer-Strayer! Go get me a large plank of wood big enough to nail back to it! And have that word painted on!"

"Aye!" They saluted him and ran off.

Kazuma lazily stood, grumbling to himself. Concerned bystanders shrugged, relieved to see it was a trivial shenanigan. Only one man remained troubled. Mald looked on with a deep frown.

"Kazuma-sama…" His eyes never left the church-turned-casino. "I know you've dismissed my words earlier, but I implore you to reconsider!"

Kazuma looked at him, keeping his face still. "Look Mald, I know you're still not entirely trusting of Killua cuz he's the _Shield_ _Hero_…but I'm telling you, if he _reaaaally_ wanted to do something evil…there isn't much to stop him."

Mald's face scrunched like he bit something sour. "He HAS committed evil! Kazuma-sama, you must understand! He has employed demi-humans, for Three Heroes sake!"

"Ah ah ah…" Kazuma waved his finger back and forth. "What did I tell you _Chuuni_ means?"

Mald struggled in resisting a scowl. "Anti-slavery..."

"Ex-ACTLY!" Kazuma swung his arm down in emphasis just as Galeff and Slayer-Strayer returned.

"Is this the right spelling?" They raised the giant wooden board with the word "Chuuni" written in big letters.

Kazuma gave a thumbs up with sparkling eyes. "YOU GOT IT!"

Mald scoffed and turned away, stomping off. Kazuma watched him suspiciously before a tap on his shoulder distracted him.

"I don't believe you." Ritsuka whispered to his face, eyes stern.

"W-what?" He jerked back.

"Anti-slavery Pirates Treasure…" Ritsuka never broke her gaze. "It doesn't make sense grammatically. Also, it would imply Hajime _supports_ slavery since he shot it off…yet he doesn't mind demi-humans at all. What does Chuuni actually mean?"

Kazuma's face turned red. Between the muscle control to keep his lips from curling up and the laughter he squeezed inside his chest, it looked like he was choking.

"It's-a-secret." He spit the words out quietly and quickly, lest he ruin the serious façade he mustered all his strength to portray. "ANYWAY!"

His yell startled Ritsuka as he dashed by her, grabbed the sign and used his 3D gear to climb up to the top of the church, using spare arrows to nail the plank back onto the sign.

Once done, he entered the casino, 3D gear rustling at his sides.

"Ah, Bow Hero-sama!" A young tanuki girl, about 10 years of age, ran up before him and bowed in respect. "Welcome back!"

"Huh? H-hey!"_'…who is this?'_ Kazuma stared at her, surprised for a second. She pulled her head back and lowered it, anxious, hoping her presence hadn't offended the Bow Hero. Kazuma thought of Mald for a moment, then grinned. He dug into his pocket, pulling out a silver coin. "Here! A little tip for keeping tabs on the door!" He flicked it up and she caught it with a clap.

In reality, he tipped her out of spite towards Mald, but the beaming smile she gave was a pleasantry of its own. He stepped away from her and blasted a coil up to the observation deck, transmuted from the center of the ceiling, with two ropes dangling down next to two beefy demi-humans standing guard. Using it as a support point, he flew up and over the casino lounge, drawing stares of wonder from people at card tables. Below him, mesmerized nobles who didn't even notice him were stuck staring at flashing machines of pachinko and slots.

Perched against its side, he peered into the room. The walls were lined with primitive-styled arcades, such as rotating pinball machines with maze-like designs, and the hot-spring tub had been moved in here. Killua and Hajime, however, were nowhere in sight. _'Well, guess it doesn't really matter __if no one's here__. Everyone below assumes at least one of us is __up__ here anyway.' _Even if not, one of the ropes the guards stood by was attached to a device resembling a telegraph, connected to a horn in the dome.

With the coil still stuck in stone, he pushed himself off with stat-increased strength, letting the slack coil unravel from his hip, until his momentum died out and he arced below the deck like a rope-swing. It was an exhilarating experience to free fall from such a high ceiling, making indistinguishable figures of the people below. When the swing aimed his body towards the back end of the casino, he released the stuck coil and shot the other one above the hall leading to the dome.

As he was pulled towards it, he passed over a line of men, a mix of nobles and commoners, collectively waiting to enter an age-restricted area. His perception slowed down as he flew over this spot, and a proud smirk cut up his cheek as he did. He saluted the mole and cat demi-human bouncers, making sure everyone was fairly admitted. Speed resumed for him once he was past it, the two bouncers just catching his saluting figure flying by in a blur.

He skid just above the ground as he entered the back area where the dome was, sparks flashing beneath his heels. He swung upwards, spun in midair while pulling his coils back, then shot and bolted them at both sides of the vaulted door, slinging himself at it. The loud casino sounds silenced, leaving only the whine of his coils and the scrapes of his heel-braces grinding in his ears. It felt like a whole other world back here, solitary and confined from the lively, colorful space behind him.

"Lightning Shot!" He shot an electric arrow with his right crossbow, piercing the vaulted doors. They began opening in time for him to fly right through. _'__Hey, m__aybe I __c__ould try training with them now…I mean, who knows?! __My__ level __might've__ been raised enough today where __I can at least keep up__!'_ He flew through, brought his coils back, and skid across the floor to a stop. The near silence that felt like a whole new world…died under the sounds of a war zone.

A machine gun hung blasting from the ceiling, rotating slowly in small circles, pointing inside an enormous glass box with an open top. A surging silhouette zapped throughout it so fast that it looked as if an electric current was been generated by the frantic mess inside. The glass walls of the box were continuously being stained with paint. Kazuma stood there with flat, unsurprised eyes as the doors slid shut behind him.

_ 'On second thought, I'__m still not even close...__.__you overpowered fucks.__'_

"KAZUMA!" An angry voice shouted, and the machine gun stopped.

Killua stood atop piles of rubber bullets, each coated with fresh paint, yet he himself only had a few marks on him. "Wait, that hasn't been 10 minutes, has it?" His godspeed fizzled out, a bit of sweat broken on his brow, and a quickness to his breath revealing the effort he exerted. He then noticed Kazuma. "Oh, hey!" He waved at him with a catty smile, as if he knew something was going to happen.

It felt good to see Killua smiling. _'__Nice, he's gotten his mind off of it. Thanks Haji-'_ Then Hajime dropped in front of him from the top of the dome. Kazuma didn't flinch, even when he was grabbed by his shirt collar and dragged face to face.

"WHY THE **FUCK** DID YOU NAME THE CASINO _CHUUNI PIRATES TREASURE_!?"

Kazuma pressed his lips flat. _'As revenge for you getting laid…' _He turns his eyes away from Hajime, despite their proximity. "….cuzitsfunny."

A gunshot echoed, though not as loud as his usual shots. "OOOOOWWWWW!" Kazuma jumped up, grabbing his behind. "DID YOU JUST SHOOT ME IN THE ASS WITH A RUBBER BULLET?!"

"I ricocheted a rubber bullet off the wall and struck your right cheek. Now here's the left." Another gunshot, another howl of pain.

Kazuma hopped around, slightly higher due to increased levels, each ass cheek in hand, squeezed tightly. Killua was cackling, his anticipation of Hajime's reaction paid off with Kazuma's comeuppance.

"Name it something else." Hajime put his gun away.

"But it's perfect!" Kazuma stopped jumping. "Think about it…you already got the eye-patch!" Hajime's brow twitched at that. "And your robot arm is basically a cyberpunk hook hand! It's perfect, see!"

"Then just call it Pirate's Treasure!"

"But Hajime…it's not just _any_ pirates treasure…" Kazuma put his arm around him, despite knowing better considering his next words. "It's a… _Chuuni_ Pirates Treasure!"

Another gunshot, but Kazuma was prepared this time. He sprung away from Hajime, feeling the rubber bullet graze the hairs off his ass. "HAAAA!" He howled victoriously, glaring at Hajime with burning eyes, pointing at him out of fists reach. "I. DODGED IT!"

"Kazuma, you got a hole in your pants." Killua said from behind, traces of giggles bubbling in his voice.

"Huh?" He turned around, and indeed, a small whole was opened over a patch of red skin on Kazuma's ass.

"Hey, _greatest hero_ by default…" Hajime put his robot hand on Kazuma's shoulder. "You should go change, lest what little of this world that worships you bears the sight of your butt cheek. You'll go back to your world with the knowledge your remembered in legends, in a bunch of different cultures, as the hero who looks like he got his pants spanked off."

Kazuma grit his teeth at first, but after remembering something, smirked instead. "Yea, I'll go change. Maybe take a dip in the hot spring-tub as well!" He began to march away with a rather arrogant strut.

Hajime watched him suspiciously. _'He's planning something...or planned it? Hiding it?'_ His eyes widened. "WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE!" He disappeared, using Supersonic Step to leave the room out the watchtower of the dome. A few seconds of silence passed, then a muffled gunshot could barely be heard from outside.

"AAAHHHH! NOOOO!" Kazuma grabbed his head. "HE SHOT IT OFF AGAIN!"

The next second, Hajime was back in the room, standing before Kazuma. "Goddammit, I'm gonna shoot that fucking word off EVERY SINGLE TIME if I have to, so help me!"

Kazuma smashed his forehead against Hajime's, able to bear the sting of pain with heightened stats. "Well I'm gonna NAIL IT BACK ON every single time, so help you!"

They bared their teeth, growling at each other like dogs. Killua watched with curious eyes. _'I wonder if Kazuma knows just _how much_ Hajime holds back when they get like this…'_

"Fine!" Hajime pulled back. "Then you know what I'm gonna do? When I'm done building everything in here, I'm gonna transmute _another_ casino right across the street!"

"Oh yeah?" Kazuma taunted.

"Yeah! And I'm gonna name it: _The Virgin Islands_."

"Huh?" Kazuma's eyes grew scared.

Hajime nodded triumphantly. "I'll divide the inside into two separate lounges. I'll name one lounge… _Satou_, and the other…_Kazuma_."

Eyes wide, pupils constricted, Kazuma stared at Hajime in disbelief. He knew he was more than capable of doing it…and he knew he was serious.

"WELL GO AHEAD, THEN!" He shouted daringly. "I'll build a bunch of life-size loli vampire dolls and post them outside the entrance of Chuuni Pirates Treasure! And I'll mold them to bow down at a giant picture of you!"

"Ugh." A shiver ran down Killua's spine. _'Why did I get __serious__ Milluki vibes there…that was weird.'_

Hajime cringed, then smiled and shot back. "Then _I'll_ hold mock rituals every morning when my casino opens where attendants sacrifice a virgin with spears to bless them with riches. I'll hang a giant voodoo doll with a picture of your face taped on, and I'll let the women have first stab! I bet they'd like that!"

Kazuma's face turned red. The two otakus glared at each other with intense menace. Then they heard the vault doors open, turning to Killua pressing an electric palm into them.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna head out for a bit-"

"GAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Kazuma bellowed a fierce warrior cry and sprinted towards the door, shooting his 3D gear again.

Startled and confused, Killua hopped out the way as Kazuma flew past him. He whipped around the corner and flung himself into the grand open space of the casino. He flew over the machines, garnering stares from demi-human workers and gambling nobles alike, yet again. The front door was in view, drawing nearer to him as he sped forth. _'I'll carve the word Chuuni right into the-'_ Then a weight smashed into his back and he plummeted. Hajime had tackled him to the ground, caving in the stone floor in the process.

"You didn't seriously think you could out-speed me, did you?" Hajime asked, pinning Kazuma down in a semi-wrestling move.

Kazuma turned to him, showing half the grin on his face. "Can't blame me for trying, right?"

"Well, you _have_ gotten a hell of a lot faster, that's for sure…" Hajime released him. "But it's gonna take a ton more of whatever you're doing to catch up to even Killua."

"Yea, yea, I know." Kazuma sat up, dusting himself off. "I'm still gonna fix that sign the first chance I get though." He smirked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Hajime scowled. Killua walked up to them, bringing over a wet-floor sign made of cheap planks. He placed it in the center of the concave spot.

"Ummm…." Raphtalia interrupted, accompanied by curious demi-human child. "Is everything here…okay?" Her shoulders were nervously hunched, and the other child was hiding behind her.

Hajime and Kazuma stared at them for a moment. They looked at each other, then Hajime grinned deviously.

"YOU TWO!" He pointed at them, startling the anxious children further. "Who do you think is the coolest hero of us all?"

"THE SHIELD HERO!" They replied immediately with renewed vigor, causing Killua to cringe out of their sight.

Hajime's eyes went flat. "Ok. I should have seen that coming…BUT THEN…" He thrust a finger at them again, hope returning to his face. "Who do you think is the _SECOND_ coolest hero?!"

Raphtalia and the other child looked at each other. "Ummm….you are?" Their reply was simply an attempt to appease the notorious Spear Hero. Hajime counted on that.

"SOOOOOOO…" A trolling grin dug into his face. "BY _DEFAULT_…that would make HIM the _least cool_, and thus, the _lamest_ hero!" He pointed right at Kazuma.

Kazuma raised his head, seemingly unfazed with a mischievous smile of his own. "Oi, kids…you know what a Chuuni Pirate _really_ is?"

Hajime shot a glare at him, but didn't miss a beat. "You kids know what a Virgin Otaku is?"

"Oi, shut the fuck up!" Killua grabbed them both by their ears, yanking their heads down. "_I_ wish I didn't know half of these terms, so I'm not gonna let you corrupt innocent children through your petty nerd squabbles!"

Everyone in the casino watched with sheer astonishment. These were the mighty heroes of legend, whom together, conquered the Three Heroes Church and proclaimed to stop the Waves in 3 months max. Along with that, no one has forgotten the royal family's trial and how Hajime had executed the King and the first Princess.

Yet, here these same heroes are, playing around as if it was any normal day for them. Here was the deadly Spear Hero, whose infamy was currently going down in history, being yanked around and teased by his two companions. Everyone feared and respected him, yet the camaraderie between these three provided such a contrast to the image everyone had in their heads. It was relaxing, in a strange way. For them to see the three heroes like this, made them feel less like they were under the oppression of tyrants, but instead, simply experiencing changes at the hands of three good friends.

It also helped that, as of yet, those changes had been mainly for the better.

~~~ [Later]

"So if Hajime and I start hunting monsters too…we'll become stronger just like that?" Killua asked, body floating against the surface.

"That's the gist of it…" Kazuma sunk until the tip of his chin tapped the water. "I was hoping to catch up with you guys at least before you found out…but with the Wave coming in just over a week, I don't think that's possible. Plus I'd feel bad if the Waves are stronger than we anticipated and you guys could have used some leveling up."

When time came for the casino to close, the three of them gathered in the hot-spring tub to relax for the end of the day. It merely consisted of joking and romping the same way they did in the observation deck, and just about everywhere else they went. It was their daily routine now.

"I'm not particularly worried." Hajime said, head rested against the poolside.

"Me neither." Killua added. "I'm actually looking forward to it!"

"Of course you are." Kazuma turned away, grumbling under his breath.

"Hey!" Hajime lifted his head. "At least you're alongside us! C'mon, you gotta be looking forward to fighting with people who can actually be useful in combat...you know, at all times I mean!"

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Kazuma chuckled. "It'll definitely be a new experience, that's for sure!"

Killua creased his forehead. "Say, Kazuma…is your party really that useless?"

"There was not a single detail about my _pain_ and _suffering_ I've exaggerated." He gave him a serious stare, before blinking it away. "Why?"

"Well…" Killua's shoulders slumped. "Aren't you worried about them at all, then?" _'I don't understand how you can be so cheery through all this? __Everyday is fun with you guys, but I gotta keep my guilt in check, otherwise it'll consume me from the inside out...__ I need to know what your trick is to handle the-'_

"Nah, not really." He replied nonchalantly, surprising Killua. "The only real danger that's ever come _our_ way was the Destroyer, and we took care of that already. I mean sure, Aqua attracts the undead and all, but she's also the only one who can dispel them. At this point, my worst fear is returning in deeper debt than I left in, but that's about it. _Actually_…" Kazuma held his face in stiff fingers, veins bulging taut around horrified eyes. "I was summoned in the middle an important job. A noble hired us to use Aqua's Sacred Dispel to cleanse a recent bounty of treasures he bought off of raiders thieving the Devil Kings army. There was a ton, and we had to do one at a time…"

As Kazuma's arm started shaking, Killua turned his eyes down, dejected. Then he forced a smile on his face. "And that's worrisome?"

"I was the CRUX of the whole operation." Kazuma wrapped his arms around himself, as if the hot-spring tub was no match for the cold anxiety seizing him. "I used a magic pendulum as a tool to discern mostly fakes from the authentic, but also cursed treasures from regular ones. Some were even possessed! So if we found one, I would hand it off to Darkness to keep it still for Aqua to cleanse. If things got out of hand, we had Megumin there to take care of that in a worst case scenario. In fact, we used her already, on the day I was summoned here, but the project was going to take us at least 5 days, and I was brought here only on the second…"

Hajime leaned forward. "And without you there, separating the good from the bad, you're left with a masochist who is willing to be cursed, a Goddess who attracts the undead and has the worst luck imaginable, and those two together would probably force your trigger-happy loli-nuke to…" His words trailed off as his own eye went wide with realization.

"Yup." Kazuma nodded at him, face still stressed. "You figured it out, huh? Chances are…without me there... Aqua's bad luck, Darkness's eager masochism and the Devil Kings stolen goods will combine into a situation where Megumin will excitedly blow up _all_ the treasure to save themselves from being attacked by curses."

"And since that noble probably paid a ton of money for that treasure…" Hajime finally met Kazuma's worried glare. "That will plunge you into MASSIVE debt." Kazuma could only nod. "But we're gonna be out of here by the next month if things go according to plan, 3 at most if need be…you think things will get even worse by then?"

"HA!" Kazuma threw his head up. "Don't **underestimate** how troublesome they are!" He stuck a finger at him. "Well, what about you? You got a freaking God after you! Aren't you worried about your party back home?"

"Not at all." Hajime readily replied. "Unlike your party, mine aren't cursed with bad luck or stupidity."

"Just masochism?" Kazuma smirked.

"Egh…" Hajime stuttered. "…Yes. Unfortunately. But that just makes me even less worried. If something was to happen to Tio, she'd just enjoy it. The only one I _would_ be worried about is Myu, but considering the overpowered babysitters surrounding her...all they have to do is lay low and complete a few unchallenging adventures from time to time for money." He shrugged. "They'll be fine. I've said it before, this is more of just a stupid inconvenience for me."

"A dangerous inconvenience for me! I can't afford to die in this world!" Kazuma slinked back. "Unlike Axel, this world is actually balanced, so these Waves aren't something for me to take lightly… Wait… technically that means Axel is potentially more dangerous, with final-boss types attacking beginner towns…" _'Geez, I lose wherever I go!'_

"Dude, seriously, just stick with Killua and I, and you'll be good." Hajime waved away his concerns.

Kazuma relaxed at that. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'm jealous of the two of you." Killua finally spoke up. They turned to him, his downcast gaze hiding his expression. "You guys have nothing to worry about back home." His voice was low, weak, as if anything louder would make it crack.

Hajime and Kazuma looked at each other, concerned. They realized they fucked up, rambling off about who they left behind.

"H-hey now…" Kazuma started. "Didn't you say that she's _your_ sister, after all? That you'd believe in her making the right decisions?"

"I told you how she can grant wishes, right?" Killua never lifted his face.

"Yeah." Hajime replied, sternly, making sure to be a voice of reason. "You also told us that you had her promise to never grant anyone else wishes besides you, correct?"

"What if she asks _someone else_ to make a wish for me to return?" Killua's reply was nearly a whisper. "What if she explains how to activate Nanika to someone, and promises them a wish as a reward? Summoning me back is no small feat. You know how many people could die as a repercussion of a wish that powerful? It could attract my family's attention, and they'll know I haven't been watching her…but the worst case scenario is if they ask for a wish first-"

"_Killua," _Hajime snapped. "You're still here. And you know what that means?" He moved in front of his blank gaze. "It means that she _hasn't_ done that."

"_Yet_." Killua met his eyes, worry making them shake. "What if she's on the verge of doing it?"

"And what if she's not, and she's actually fine?" Kazuma chimed in. "Then you're just unnecessarily tormenting yourself. You'll just become paranoid if you're constantly thinking that, and that'll affect your ability to see things rationally. Please, we can't have you do that dude! You're the smartest here!"

"Look, you're worried, we get that." Hajime never broke gaze. "But Kazuma's right. That worry of yours, mixed with your intelligence, is gonna concoct a thousand and one paranoid thoughts that seem super realistic to you. But isn't that why you've decided to have faith in Alluka instead?" He put a hand, his human one, on Killua's shoulder.

He looked up at him, and Hajime grinned. Killua still looked unconvinced. "It's hard…to not think about it…"

"I never said it'd be easy, but you've been doing well." Hajime lowered his voice, looking him hard in the eyes, making sure his words reached him. After all, they both shared a unique connection that no other would understand. "Keep it up. I promise you, when you see everything I've got planned, you're gonna feel silly that you've worried this whole time."

Their eyes locked as Hajime refused to let Killua sulk back into his insecurities. Eventually, the slightest smirk broke at the edge of his lips. Then a weak stream of water began tinkling onto Hajime's head.

"The fuck?" They both turned to Kazuma, using Create Water, spurting a thin rope of it from his palm.

"Sorry…" Kazuma said sarcastically. "Your bromance was getting hot and steamy."

"Oh, shut up!" Hajime hurled a huge wall of water right back at Kazuma, smashing into him like a tidal wave, causing him to fall and cough. "Looks like the Waves are here a few days early!"

Kazuma thrust an open palm towards Hajime's crotch. "FREEZE!" A tutu of ice grew outward from his groin.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT, THAT'S COLD!" He smashed the ice off himself.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Killua broke helplessly into hysterics. He fell back into the water, clutching his heaving chest, trying not to drown as tears added to hot-spring water.

Hajime and Kazuma snuck a glance at each other, acknowledging that their antics had fulfilled their purpose. Though Hajime _did_ mentally note to get Kazuma back for that sometime later. They got the ball rolling, taking Killua's mind off the fact it had been three weeks since his defenseless sister had been left alone, and they had to keep it going. They wrestled with each other for a few moments longer, Hajime slowly but easily overpowering Kazuma, until a thought hit him.

"Oh, Kazuma, I wanted to ask…" He segued, latching onto something Kazuma mentioned earlier. "If you were to compare the monsters in the field you hunted earlier to the Destroyer, how big of a difference would you gauge their levels?"

"Hmm." He stopped wrestling. "I don't remember their actual levels, but if I rate those monsters at 20 points…" Kazuma rubbed his chin for a moment. "I'd say the Destroyer was about a 1000."

"Hohhh?" Hajime grinned. That same sinister, terrifying grin when he's got nothing good in mind.

Kazuma blinked, recognizing it. "Oi…what's with that face of yours?"

Hajime sat back down, leaning into the poolside. "I like that point difference. That's all."

"STOP BEING OMINOUS!" Kazuma smashed the water. "YOU DO THAT EVERY TIME I TRY ASKING YOU ABOUT WHATEVER THE HELL YOUR PLAN IS! What _exactly_ are you gonna do with all those things your building?"

"The answer isn't that big a mystery, though, I don't think. Killua's got the overall gist already..." Hajime smiled. "I'm just waiting for you to figure it out."

Kazuma began counting off on each of his fingers. "Destroy the planet, destroy the planet, destroy the planet, destroy the-"

"Anyway…" He pulled his smile back, assuming a confused face. "Why the hell was a boss-level monster like that even attacking a town of beginners?"

"Like I said…my old world was stupidly imbalanced! I told you about that slime I fought, remember? A slime! They're supposed to be the weakest creatures! And yet-"

"Right, right, that overpowered one!" Hajime thought for a moment. "Well, not all of them are weak. You know Rimuru? What if your guy was like that?"

"Ha!" Kazuma chuckled. "Then that was the worst time and place for him to reincarnate! Oh dude, I just thought of something funny! Imagine if Goblin Slayer was isekai'd to Rimuru's world? He'd have an existential crisis over the goblins there!"

"HAHAHA!" Hajime slapped his knee. "That'd turn his world upside down!"

They both chuckled at the thought. Killua slowly went from laughing along to being confused.

_ 'Imbalanced __worlds__? Reincarnated slimes? Rimuru? __What in the world are they...oh.__' _With an exhausted huff, he understood. "Is this more otaku stuff?"

"Ah ha!" Kazuma reacted with exaggerated gestures. "I see our Isekai Kouhai here is finally learning our ways!"

"As long as it's not the way of the Virgin Otaku, I think he'll be good." Hajime said, quiet but intentionally audible.

"HEYYYY!" Kazuma roared. "As if being a fucking lolicon is any better!"

Hajime jumped up, immediately defensive. "YUE'S JUST _SHORT_!"

"Uh huh. Yeah." Kazuma nodded with a tone of disbelief. "And a vampire too, right? How old is she again…300 years?"

Hajime's shoulders went limp. He looked away. "…Yes."

"WHAT A CLICHÉ LOLI WAIFU!" Kazuma got up close in Hajime's face and snickered.

Hajime smashed his forehead against Kazuma's. "YEAH? WELL AT THE RATE YOUR PARTIES GOING, I'M CALLING THE MOST LOGICAL SHIP WILL BE BETWEEN YOU AND MEGUMIN! AND WHAT THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU GONNA SAY WHEN YOU START DATING THE LOLI OF YOUR PARTY?"

Kazuma grated his forehead against Hajime's. "I'M GONNA SAY AT LEAST SHE'S NOT A _300 YEAR OLD VAMPIRE_!"

Again, Killua watched the cringe exchange between them with a flat look. _'Wow. These two seriously __do __remind me of Milluki. Maybe the wrong Zoldyck got isekai'd, he'd fit in like a puzzle piece with these two.'_

The nonsensical argument continued as Killua washed himself free of the day's work, rubbing off a few spots of paint from the rubber bullets.

~~~ [Later that night]

Killua plopped onto his left side in bed. The room was large, giving that much more space for the silence to overwhelm. Darkness spread almost everywhere. Only to his left where he faced, there was a glowing sliver of light from the overhead moon. It managed to cast over the giant wall, lining a muted silver streak on the carpet. Several tiny strands of dust floated carelessly in the thin shine, visible to his sharp eyes that caught all movement. The sound of his breathing seemed louder than it actually was. His ears had nothing else to focus on in the utterly silent room.

It had been three days since he had last slept, so at last, the fatigue that enveloped normal humans after half a day finally caught him. Perhaps it was the tiredness, but his mind flitted from one memory to the next; recapping chronological moments in disbelief, now that he had stopped and given time to really acknowledge the results.

Things started off as a mess when they were first summoned to this world, but once the three of them had firmly established their presence here, it had been generally smooth sailing. It helped immensely that they become super rich within the span of a week. Following that, every day consisted of playing arcade games, training with unique weapons and hanging out with one another like friends in a college dorm. Alongside gathering information about the world and Waves, devising optimal strategies.

Hajime and Kazuma may have had a rocky start, but once their differences were settled, they were all inseparable buds. Killua's mind replayed events from random days, positive moments in time picked without reason, all bringing a smile to his face. He even chuckled aloud at the most recent antics between the other two, particularly the icy crotch assault. They were constantly bickering at each other for petty yet shared faults.

"I actually do wonder how Milluki would have reacted, being summoned here." He rolled onto his back, resting his head in his hands, letting the thoughts color his dark field of vision. "Hey, maybe when I get back, I should command Nanika to isekai Milluki somewhere. I bet he'd enjoy that!" He giggled to himself. If he really was going to isekai Milluki, he knew right away he would send him to Kazuma's world, just to mess with him. He laughed harder to himself, letting the scene play out. The thought of his brother having to deal with that troublesome trio would drive Milluki mad.

Then the laughter died in his throat. The scenes playing before his eyes fizzled out, and the darkness returned as a grim reminder. The fun he was having with his new friends was the result of, essentially, interdimensional kidnapping. The thought made him guilty and sick. While he was playing around, having a grand ol' time here, Alluka was abandoned and alone back home.

Nasty thoughts he'd been stomping out from sprouting, now bloomed invasively in his mind. Scary thoughts, fed by suppressed fears, taking vengeance for being ignored. For whatever damn reason, no matter how hard a person steels their heart in daylight, the grips of sleep pry it back open so vulnerably. Plus a tired mind easily conjures vivid scenes.

He saw himself, rubbing Alluka's head by the open door of their hotel room, morning sun shining from their window and the hallway. Then he left, leaving her alone, with a calendar behind her that marked the day he went to investigate the ruins. He reached toward the scene, knocking his fingers against an unbreakable glass, forced to observe preset events he had no authority to alter. Like he was omnisciently watching his sister in the past, on the day he was summoned away.

"No…" Killua said to himself, trying to command the ugly thoughts to stop.

It failed. Alluka sat at their dining table, drawing childish pictures with crayons, swinging her feet on the chair just a tad too big for her. Then the scene fast-forwarded to nighttime. She repeatedly peaked out in the hallway, closing the door with slumped shoulders and a sad face. She waited up for him all night, refusing to sleep, until she couldn't stay awake any longer. When she awoke with a sudden jolt, she looked around the room, growing worried, then peaked out in the hallway again. He was still gone.

"NO…." Killua growled, clenching his teeth, trying harder to force the thoughts to stop.

They just became more realistic. He no longer observed behind glass. He was an intangible phantom, stuck by her side, unable to be heard or felt. He saw Alluka being kicked out of the hotel, unpityingly shoved onto the streets by security, and demanded to leave. She begged for help, asking anyone that would listen if they've seen her brother.

Killua tried to reassure her, standing before her eyes, yelling to her face that he was right there. Her eyes never locked on his; she was blind to him. She started grabbing people as they walked by, forcing them to listen, pleading desperately for their help. She cried out questions they couldn't answer, such as what if _he_ got lost? What if _he_ was injured? What if _he_ was killed? Or what if he…_abandoned her too_?

"NO!" Killua screamed, lurching up to a sit. He was back in his dark bedroom, sliced out of his trancelike visions. Yet, he clutched his ears, futilely trying to stop the one, but most terrible, sound that stuck with him from those visions.

Sounds of screaming. "ONII-CHAN!" Alluka's screams. "WHERE ARE YOU!" Desperate, pained, terrified. Riling his every instinct to hold her close, a current impossibility. "**HELP ME!** **PLEASE!**" It had been so long since he had last heard her voice, but his mind recreated the tones and the pitch with haunting clarity. The voice of his sister, one he longed greatly to hear safe and sound, cried out in despair with such realistic lucidity, that for just a second, Killua had to wonder if it was real. Were these screams truly occurring, at this moment? Somehow, across the borders of universes and dimensions, had Alluka's cries reached him?

Again, these were just thoughts, manifested by suppressed emotions, but in his tired state, a near dreamlike quality had given extra life to them. The fears he avoided thinking of had sprung forth from the black box of mental oppression. Overfilled, the top cracked open, spewing out its poisonous inners to sicken his mind with hideous delusions. They took violent advantage of his sleepy brain, paranoid feelings incarnating as images.

Dozens of varying scenarios, all of them of Alluka, and in one way or another, she was scared, alone or in _imminent danger_. In one moment, she ran out in a panic on the street, seconds away from a car smashing her. Then, the scene cut and changed. Now she was chased by a group of men, masked and dressed in black, holding weapons. Next, she was caught up in the mayhem of a terrorist attack pulled off by the Phantom Troupe. Most frightening was when Illumi appeared before her, smiling, taunting her with Killua's absence.

Throughout this, her screams remained so crisp, so clear, and so accurate. It wasn't something that Killua could think up at will. It was an abuse of intimate memories, like sound files tampered by an enemy. Alluka's voice screamed things that were daggers of the perfect shape. Emotional blades specifically forged to hurt his most sensitive spots.

They did their job well. Killua cried, unable to hold it in any longer. He pressed his hand over his mouth, muffling the sounds of his own sobbing, tears streaming down his face, snot running against his fingers. He couldn't stop it. The more he tried, the harder he heaved. He knew he had to get it out of him, but it hurt to do so. Crying could be such a painful relief, after all.

As he wept, the awful sounds finally faded away, leaving his sharp ears to focus on his moans and sobs. It sounded alien to him. The empty, spacious room around was barely lit by the moon outside. Whatever he could see was blurred by tears coating his eyes, making an already dark room harder to see. Again, it just reminded him that he was _here_, in another world, while his sister was scared and alone. Far, far away.

"I hate this world…" He said, voice cracking. He sniffled in a deep breath. "I _HATE_ this world…" His arms stiffened and chest felt hot. _'If it wasn't for th__ese__ crooked __scumbags__ that __steal people__from__ other worlds to save __their planet__ against their will, Alluka would be just fine!'_ Wrath seared from his chest and through his body, burning with the fury of white-hot incineration.

He tried to think back to the fun, happy memories with Kazuma and Hajime. To balance out the situation, to remind him of his new friends, and to calm himself from giving into that darkness which Hajime helped him avoid returning to. But the feeling wouldn't leave. Unfortunately, there was only one thing that could satiate his pain at this moment.

Alluka, in his arms, alive and well. All else be damned.

"I FUCKING _**HATE**_ THIS WORLD!" His throat tore as he screamed into his palms, fingers digging around his face to muffle his spiteful declaration.

It was a necessary catharsis, inevitable in its occurrence. How much of it was true would be sorted out with a sober mind achieved by a good night's sleep. For now, however, Killua continued to weep softly, drying an unending onslaught of tears. The moon shifted ever so slightly, shining on him as he sat up in bed, mentally undoing the paranoid illogic which guided most of those dreadful images.

That same moon shined on someone else, miles and miles away from him, but drawing nearer by the minute. Through the window of a royal carriage, the moonlight cast down upon a ten year old girl, sobbing uncontrollably, wiping away tear after tear that refused to let up, as if her heart sought to dry her out from the inside.

"I _hate_ him…" Melty's voice cracked through sobs. "I _hate_ him so much…" She sniffled. "I don't even know him, BUT I _HATE_ HIM!" Her anger made a snarl out of her scream, but she resumed crying immediately after. Harder than before.

Mirellia pulled Melty into her side, caressing her shoulders, embracing her with a mother's tenderness. She looked out at the piercing white moon, a beacon against the violet night sky. She kept her composure, for the sake of both her daughter and her Shadows sitting around them.

"Melty…" She said. "I need you to try and get some sleep, ok?"

Melty nodded, trying to control herself from moaning even further, but could only maintain a few seconds of silence. Her little shoulders convulsed and the sobs forced themselves through. Mirellia caressed her head, running her fingers gently through her precious daughter's hair. Her _only_ daughter.

_ 'I don't want to bring you, in all honesty.'_ Mirellia thought, looking down at her. _'I can't bear to lose you too.' _At that thought, she pulled Melty in tighter, resting her head against her breasts. A heaviness ached in her chest at the thought of Malty. Despite the person she became, it wasn't easy for her to forget the happier times. Bonding with her in that unique, maternal way over nine months, nervously but excitedly. Finally being able to hold the tiny, fragile infant that was her first daughter.

Back then, she didn't think twice about making her the heir to the throne. She expected great things from her. After all, the one who had sired her was none other than the Cane Hero. Aultcray had almost seemed to love her even more than Mirellia, spoiling her beyond her own good. The memories stopped. Her jaw quivered at the thought of her deceased husband, as if her daughter wasn't enough. She blinked away the tears, refusing to shed anymore. She had to be strong.

She turned forward, looking beyond the carriage driver, between the hooded heads of her Shadows. Nothing but a moonlit dirt road for miles. It wouldn't be until morning they arrive at the capital. She looked down at Melty again, her quieting sobs indicating the brink of crying to sleep. _'I don't want to bring you…but I know it would be unfair to leave you out of this too…' _Mirellia drew her free hand into a fist, grief replaced with hope, anxiety and fury. _'When we meet the person who killed your __Sister and Father!__'_

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_**Authors Note...again**__: Welp...sorry about that wait. Long story short: Was making this story my number one priority __for a while __through my free time, 'twas fun, but 'twas neglecting other things I had to do. Had to __delete and __rewrite this chapter at some point, got demoralized, and indulged in the other things I __was slacking doing before__. Am now trying to strike a balance between it all, and as you can see, chapters will generally be longer. So __basically,__ my update schedule will most likely be long, and sporadic, from here on out._

_Also, for anyone concerned about the slow pacing of the story, just know that I have a minimum (most likely it'll be more, knowing myself) of at least 25 chapters before I finish this whole thing. A __lot__ can happen in that span. Just a fun little fyi ;)_

_Also one last thing...there are certain symbols that FF does not seem to display on their site. Such as the asterisk, which I will put three of right here: ***. If they showed up, that'd be a first for me, cuz they usually don't. I'm hoping that these things ~~~ do show up __(hopes the symbols between "things" and "do" show up)__. Cuz if not, i'm going to have to stick to the awkward [indication of time or something else passing or changing] and doing that has the potential to break the pacing of the reading. So far, I think it's been ok, __but it looks kinda dumb to me to have [later] to break up a passing of time or what have you...when we have symbols to do that.__ This is just so all of you on the other side know of this trivial struggle __I have__ lol._


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